Maya Ellison
The plastics industry has long been accused of perpetuating the myth that plastic is recyclable. In the 1970s, the industry started spending millions of dollars on advertising campaigns to promote the benefits of recycling, while being aware of the challenges and near impossibility of recycling plastic. The now-ubiquitous chasing-arrows symbol, introduced in 1988, was meant to help recycling facilities sort plastic, but it also created the impression among consumers that plastic was recyclable and that recycling was working. Despite the efforts of activists and industry experts, the myth of plastic recyclability persists, and the demand for and production of plastic continues to grow, with serious ecological consequences.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Plastic recycling | A myth, according to many sources |
| The plastic industry's role | Misled the public into believing plastic could be recycled |
| Industry motivation | To sell more plastic and avoid blame for ecological mess |
| Industry tactics | Labelling plastics with chasing-arrows symbol, running ads promoting recycling, and lobbying |
| Industry knowledge | Knew recycling plastic was nearly impossible and uneconomical |
| Recycling challenges | Sorting, melting, and contamination issues; toxic additives; microplastic release |
| Plastic production | Increased from 1990 to 2010, especially during COVID-19 |
| Plastic waste | Majority ends up in landfills, oceans, and the environment |
| Plastic bans | Implemented by many African nations, the EU, and some cities |
| Public perception | 71% think single-use plastic products should be banned |
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What You'll Learn
- The plastics industry has spent millions promoting recycling to sell more plastic
- Plastic recycling is not economical and recycled plastic costs more than new plastic
- The plastics industry has waged a decades-long campaign to perpetuate the myth that plastic is recyclable
- The industry introduced resin identification codes to improve the image of their product
- Plastic recycling does not work and will never work
The plastics industry has spent millions promoting recycling to sell more plastic
The plastics industry has long been aware of the environmental impact of its products. In the 1970s, activists sounded the alarm about plastic waste, and industry scientists themselves produced reports acknowledging the near-impossibility of recycling plastic. However, instead of heeding these warnings, the industry chose to promote the idea of recycling as a solution to the plastic waste problem, spending millions of dollars on advertising campaigns that assured consumers their plastic products could be recycled.
This was a strategic move by the industry to protect its profits. With the demand for oil for cars and trucks declining, the industry is increasingly reliant on plastic for future profits. By promoting recycling, the industry could assuage consumers' concerns about plastic waste and maintain demand for its products.
The industry's efforts to promote recycling included the introduction of resin identification codes or the now-ubiquitous chasing-arrows symbol in the 1980s. These codes and symbols were meant to help recycling facilities sort plastic, but they also had the effect of making all plastic look recyclable, creating unrealistic expectations about the recyclability of plastic. Many consumers assumed the symbol meant the product could be recycled, even though industry experts knew that most plastics would ultimately end up in landfills.
The plastics industry's campaign to promote recycling has been compared to the tobacco industry's efforts to convince smokers that filtered cigarettes are healthier than unfiltered cigarettes. In both cases, industries have engaged in deceptive marketing campaigns to protect their profits, even at the expense of public health and the environment.
Despite the efforts of the plastics industry, the reality is that plastic recycling does not work and will likely never work. Plastic products can include toxic additives, and the recycling process can be contaminated by these additives, making it unsuitable for food-grade packaging. Additionally, recycling plastic is simply not economical; the sorting and reprocessing of plastic waste are extremely expensive, and recycled plastic often ends up being lower quality than new plastic.
The plastics industry's deception around recycling has had serious consequences. The public has been misled into believing that recycling is an effective solution to plastic waste, hindering efforts to reduce plastic consumption and develop more sustainable alternatives. As a result, the planet is facing an ever-growing plastic crisis, with plastic waste accumulating in our landfills, oceans, and even our bodies.
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Plastic recycling is not economical and recycled plastic costs more than new plastic
Plastic recycling is not economical, and recycled plastic costs more than new plastic. The cost of recycling a bottle versus making a new one depends on the price of oil and natural gas. The higher the price of oil and natural gas, the higher the cost of virgin plastic. However, this has barely affected the demand for plastic. The amount of PET plastic on U.S. shelves has more than doubled in the last decade.
The recycling industry is complex and multifaceted, with a range of factors that dictate the cost-effectiveness of recycling any material. In the United States, recycling is more expensive than simply throwing materials away. This is due to the global market for scrap materials, the price of oil, and the continued reliance on cheap, single-use products. The low value of scrap and the high costs of recycling, coupled with low oil prices, mean that recycling plastic now costs more than manufacturing virgin plastic.
The economics of recycling plastic has been a topic of discussion within the plastics industry for decades. As early as 1974, an industry insider expressed doubt that recycling plastic could ever be economically viable. Despite this, the industry spent millions of dollars on advertising campaigns to promote the benefits of recycling and create the perception that plastic was recyclable. These campaigns were often funded by oil and plastic companies and their lobbying and trade organizations.
The challenges of plastic recycling are not limited to economic factors. There are thousands of different types of plastic, and they cannot be melted down together. The variety of plastics makes the sorting process complex and costly. Additionally, even highly-recyclable plastics will degrade in quality over time, with processing limits of just two to three cycles before they are no longer usable.
While there is growing demand for recycled plastic as manufacturers shift towards sustainable practices, the current state of plastic recycling is not economically feasible. However, with new technology and infrastructure, the price of recycling may decrease, making it more cost-effective in the future.
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The plastics industry has waged a decades-long campaign to perpetuate the myth that plastic is recyclable
The plastics industry has long been aware of the challenges and near impossibility of recycling plastic. However, it has spent decades promoting the idea that plastic is recyclable, a strategy to maintain and increase profits by assuaging consumer concerns about plastic waste. This campaign has been compared to the tobacco industry's efforts to convince the public of the health benefits of filtered cigarettes.
In the 1970s, the plastics industry faced an environmental backlash, and manufacturers sought to improve their image by embracing the idea of recycling. They introduced the now-ubiquitous chasing arrows symbol, which, to consumers, indicated recyclability. However, industry experts knew that the infrastructure for plastic recycling was lacking and that sorting plastics was "infeasible".
The Society of the Plastics Industry and its lobbying group in Washington, D.C., played a significant role in this campaign. They spent tens of millions of dollars on advertisements promoting plastic recycling, featuring companies like Exxon, Chevron, Dow, and DuPont. These ads, which ran for years, contributed to consumer confusion and undermined the credibility of those sounding the alarm about plastic waste.
Despite the efforts of activists and industry insiders, the plastics industry continued to perpetuate the myth of plastic recyclability. They focused on recycling rather than reduction, and their efforts were bolstered by the introduction of chemical recycling, which turns plastic waste into low-quality fossil fuel. However, this method has been criticised for its contamination of the pyrolysis process and resulting carbon emissions.
The plastics industry's campaign has had real-world consequences, with plastic waste accumulating in landfills, oceans, and the environment. Less than 10% of the plastics ever used have been recycled, and new facilities and investments in plastic production indicate that the problem will only worsen. The industry's focus on recycling has diverted attention from the more effective solutions of reducing and reusing plastic products.
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The industry introduced resin identification codes to improve the image of their product
The plastic industry has long been aware of the environmental and health risks posed by its products. In the 1970s, industry officials knew that most plastic was being buried, burned, or ending up in the ocean, rather than being recycled. Despite this, the industry has waged a decades-long campaign to perpetuate the myth that plastic is recyclable.
In the 1980s, the Society of the Plastics Industry (now the Plastics Industry Association) in the United States introduced resin identification codes (RICs). These are the numbers found on the bottom of rigid plastic packaging, which categorise plastic into types to ensure consistency in manufacturing and reprocessing. The stated purpose of the original SPI code was to "provide a consistent national system to facilitate recycling of post-consumer plastics".
However, the introduction of RICs was also a response to growing public concern about the environmental and health impacts of plastic. The industry pushed for recycling and lobbied state legislatures to adopt RICs. They also launched a $50-million-a-year ad campaign to improve plastic's image, with the message that "recycling is the answer".
The problem with RICs is that they are often mistaken for recycling symbols, leading to consumer confusion about which plastic products are recyclable. The average person sees the RIC symbol and believes the packaging is recyclable, but in reality, many of those plastics are not actually being recycled. This has resulted in ongoing consumer confusion and greenwashing by companies, who use the RIC as a green marketing tool to create the impression that their products are environmentally friendly.
Despite the introduction of RICs and other recycling initiatives, the plastic industry has continued to face criticism and skepticism. The industry has been accused of following the tobacco industry's playbook, refusing to admit the failure of plastic recycling and instead shifting the blame for plastic waste onto consumers.
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Plastic recycling does not work and will never work
The problem with recycling plastic lies not with the concept or process but with the material itself. Plastic products can include toxic additives and absorb chemicals, making them unsafe to be recycled into food-grade packaging. In addition, the recycling process can cause polymer degradation at the molecular level, and errors can lead to material with inconsistent properties, rendering it unappealing to the industry. Mechanical recycling, which involves melting and reforming plastic, has been the primary method for decades, but it is challenging to recycle plastic to meet food contact standards, and the continual recycling of plastic without a reduction in quality is difficult due to the risk of contaminant buildup.
Another significant issue with plastic recycling is the economics. Recycled plastic costs more than new plastic because collecting, sorting, transporting, and reprocessing plastic waste is expensive. The petrochemical industry's expansion will further lower the cost of new plastic, making recycled plastic even less economical. The plastics industry is now touting the benefits of chemical recycling, which turns plastic waste into low-quality fossil fuel, but this process also has its drawbacks, including contamination and the release of climate-warming carbon emissions.
The focus on recycling has taken away from the more important issues of reducing and reusing plastic. The plastic industry has spent millions promoting recycling to improve the image of their products and continue making profits, but the truth is that the vast majority of plastic we use will not be recycled and will end up in landfills, our oceans, and the environment. The recycling rate for post-consumer plastic waste in the United States in 2021 was a dismal 5%, and over the last seven decades, less than 10% of plastic waste has been recycled globally.
Single-use plastic bans are a more effective way to reduce waste, save taxpayer money spent on disposal and cleanup, and reduce plastic pollution in the environment. Consumers can also play a role by choosing reusable products and putting pressure on companies to stop using single-use plastics.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the plastics industry knew that recycling plastic was difficult. A 1973 memo from the Society of the Plastics Industry to top oil and plastic executives stated that recycling plastic was nearly impossible, costly, and sorting plastics was infeasible.
The plastics industry spent millions of dollars on advertising campaigns to promote the benefits of recycling and sell more plastic. They also created a special group called the Council for Solid Waste Solutions to at least try to make recycling work.
No, recycling plastic was not effective. Less than 10% of the plastics we've used have been recycled. Plastic recycling is not economical due to the high costs of collecting, sorting, transporting, and reprocessing plastic waste.
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