Recycling Reality: National Plastic Waste Efforts Examined

Plastic pollution is a pressing global issue. In 2018, the United States, the world's largest plastic polluter, recycled only 5% of its household plastic waste. While the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reported that 60% of plastic collected for recycling worldwide in 2019 was recycled, this only accounted for 15% of all plastic waste.

The United States recycles 5% of its household plastic waste

The United States, the world's largest plastic polluter, recycles only 5% of its household plastic waste. In 2018, the recycling rate was 8.7% and three million tons of plastic were recycled. However, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) says that 60% of plastic collected for recycling worldwide in 2019 was actually recycled.

The low recycling rate in the US is surprising given that there is growing awareness of the world's plastic waste challenges. The EPA measures the generation, recycling, composting, combustion with energy recovery and landfilling of plastic materials in municipal solid waste. In 2018, plastics generation was 35.7 million tons in the United States, which was 12.2% of MSW generation.

The majority of plastic waste is still incinerated, landfilled, or mismanaged, such as being dumped into the ocean. This is a global issue, with 91% of plastic waste worldwide being disposed of in these ways.

Despite the low recycling rate in the US, the recycling of some specific types of plastic containers is more significant. For example, the recycling rate for PET containers is higher than for other types of plastic.

In 2018, the US recycled 3 million tons of plastic, an 8.7% recycling rate

The US is the world's largest plastic polluter, and yet it only recycles 5% of its household plastic waste. This is a shockingly low figure, especially when compared to the global recycling rate of plastic, which stands at 15% of all plastic collected for recycling.

However, it is important to note that the recycling of specific types of plastic containers is more significant. For example, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reports that 60% of plastic collected for recycling worldwide in 2019 was actually recycled. This suggests that the majority of recyclable plastics sent to recycling centres do get recycled.

Despite this, the overall picture is still concerning, with 91% of plastic waste worldwide being incinerated, landfilled, or mismanaged. There is a growing awareness of the world's plastic waste challenges, and yet this does not seem to be translating into higher rates of recycling.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) says 60% of plastic collected for recycling worldwide in 2019 was actually recycled

It is estimated that only 5-9% of plastic is recycled, although this is not an official nationwide estimate. However, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) says that 60% of the plastic collected for recycling worldwide in 2019 was actually recycled. This is a much higher percentage than the 5-9% figure, which refers to all plastics, the majority of which are thrown away at home. The OECD's figure only includes the plastic that was collected for recycling, which was 15% of all plastic waste. This means that only 9% of all plastic waste was ultimately recycled.

The recycling rate for collected plastics can vary widely in different states and municipalities. For example, Recycle Smart MA, an education initiative funded by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), says that 90% of the state’s recyclable plastic is actually sold to recycling reclaimers to begin their next life. Salt Lake City’s recycling program claims to have even better numbers.

Many single-use plastics aren’t recyclable because they would have to rely on a process called chemical recycling, which we don’t yet have the ability to do at scale in the United States. However, some plastics that are easy to recycle are thrown away at home more often than they’re recycled. What’s recyclable also depends on the facilities and equipment at your local recycling centres, so there is no single answer nationwide. However, there are some plastics that are almost always recyclable and others that are almost always not. For example, you can be “close to 100% confident” that your local recycling program will accept PET bottles like plastic soda bottles and water bottles, as well as laundry detergent bottles and milk jugs.

The American Chemistry Council is the primary data source on the generation of plastics

The amount of plastic recycled in the US is relatively small, with a recycling rate of 8.7% in 2018. The US recycles only 5% of its household plastic waste, making it the world's largest plastic polluter. However, the recycling of some specific types of plastic containers is more significant, with PET bottles and jars having a recycling rate of 26.8% to 29.1% in 2018, and HDPE natural bottles having a rate of 29.3% in 2018.

91% of plastic waste is incinerated, landfilled, or mismanaged

While the amount of recycled plastics is relatively small, with the United States recycling only 5% of its household plastic waste, the recycling of some specific types of plastic containers is more significant. In 2018, the US recycled three million tons of plastic, which was an 8.7% recycling rate. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) says 60% of plastic collected for recycling worldwide in 2019 was actually recycled — but only 15% of all plastic.

Despite growing awareness of the world’s plastic waste challenges, 91% of plastic waste is still incinerated, landfilled, or mismanaged. This includes being dumped into the ocean. The United States, the world’s largest plastic polluter, is a major contributor to this issue. In 2018, plastics generation was 35.7 million tons in the United States, which was 12.2% of MSW generation.

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