Chloe Zhang
Plastic pollution is a pressing issue, with large amounts of plastic waste leaking into the ocean each year and contributing to the deaths of thousands of sea creatures. In 2021, the US recycled only 5-6% of its plastic waste, with 85% ending up in landfills. While the US has committed to reducing plastic pollution, the reality is that plastic recycling is expensive, difficult, and often ineffective. With the amount of plastic produced and discarded continuing to rise, the US needs to address its low recycling rates and move towards systems of reuse and refill.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Plastic recycling rate in 2021 | 5-6% |
| Plastic waste sent to landfills in 2021 | 85% |
| Plastic generation in 2018 | 35.7 million tons |
| Plastic sent to landfills in 2018 | 27 million tons |
| Plastic bottles and jars recycling rate in 2018 | 29.1% |
| HDPE natural bottles recycling rate in 2018 | 29.3% |
| Plastic recycling rate in 2014 | 9.5% |
| Plastic recycling rate in 2018 | 8.7% |
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What You'll Learn
The US recycled 5-6% of its plastic in 2021
The United States recycled only about 5-6% of its plastic waste in 2021, according to a report by Greenpeace. This is a sharp decline from the previous years, with the official recycling rate in the US falling from a high of 9.5% in 2014 and 8.7% in 2018. The US generated an estimated 40 million tons of municipal plastic waste in 2021, and at least 80% of this waste was expected to be sent to landfill sites. This means that only around 5-6% of plastic waste was recycled, with the rest ending up in landfills, oceans, or scattered in the atmosphere as tiny toxic particles.
The low recycling rate in the US is due to several factors, including the difficulty and expense of collecting and sorting plastic waste, the lack of infrastructure and capacity to recycle plastic waste domestically, and the continued rise in plastic consumption and waste generation. The US has previously relied on exporting large volumes of plastic waste to other countries, particularly China, but this is no longer a viable option as many countries have restricted foreign waste imports due to the environmental and health concerns associated with plastic waste.
The plastic recycling process also has its own set of challenges. Even plastics that make it to recycling facilities aren't all recycled, with a significant portion being wasted during the process. For example, 30 to 36 percent of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles are wasted during recycling. Additionally, the more plastic is reused, the more toxic it becomes, further complicating the recycling process.
The low recycling rate of plastic in the US highlights the need for alternative solutions to address plastic waste and pollution. Environmentalists and lawmakers are pushing for legislation banning single-use plastics and promoting systems of reuse and refill. The "National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution" by the EPA focuses on actions to eliminate plastic pollution, but industry officials have been criticized for misleading the public about the recyclability of plastic.
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Plastic waste is sent to landfills
Plastic waste is a significant issue, and a large portion of it ends up in landfills. In 2021, it was reported that 85% of plastic waste in the US went to landfills, with only 5-6% of plastic being recycled. This is a stark indication that recycling alone is not a sufficient solution to the plastic waste crisis. The vast majority of plastic that people use, and often put into recycling bins, ends up in landfills. This is due to a variety of factors, including the high cost of collecting and sorting plastic, the existence of thousands of different types of plastic that cannot be melted down together, and the degradation of plastic after one or two uses.
The recycling rate for plastic is extremely low, and even some of the most commonly recycled items, such as PET bottles and jars, have a recycling rate of only 29.1% as of 2018. The situation is worsening, as the amount of plastic being produced continues to increase, while the amount of plastic actually being recycled is declining. The US has faced challenges in recycling its plastic waste due to a decrease in waste imports by other countries, such as China, and a lack of domestic infrastructure for recycling.
The issue of plastic waste in landfills is not unique to the US. Globally, half of all plastic waste goes straight to landfills, and another fifth is mismanaged, meaning it is not recycled, incinerated, or properly landfilled. This mismanaged waste often ends up in the environment, with one to two million tonnes of plastic entering our oceans each year. The probability of mismanaged plastic waste entering the ocean varies depending on factors such as proximity to coastlines and river systems.
To address the problem of plastic waste in landfills, there have been calls for new laws to reduce plastic packaging and a shift towards systems of reuse and refill. Environmentalists and lawmakers in some US states are advocating for legislation banning single-use plastics and implementing ""bottle bills," which incentivize customers to return their plastic bottles for recycling. These bills have been successful in improving recycling rates in certain states, such as Oregon and Michigan, but they have faced resistance from the plastic and oil industry lobbyists.
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Plastic is expensive to recycle
Plastic recycling is a complex and costly process. It involves multiple steps, from collection and sorting to processing and repurposing. The economic viability of plastic recycling depends on various costs, and the process has been marred by challenges and controversies.
One significant challenge is the variety of plastics in use. There are thousands of different types of plastic, and they cannot be melted down together. This makes sorting a critical and intricate task, and it is expensive to collect and sort the various types of plastic waste. The quality of the collected plastic waste also plays a role in determining the cost of recycling. Higher-quality plastic does not necessarily lead to a reduction in contract prices for recycling.
The recycling process itself is intricate and expensive. It involves multiple steps, including inspection, washing, shredding, drying, melting, filtering, forming, cooling, and pelletizing. These steps require specialized equipment and facilities, contributing to the overall cost. Mechanical recycling, which is often prioritized over chemical recycling due to its simplicity for the public, tends to increase contract prices.
The recycling market is also influenced by factors such as population density and transport distances. Contracts in large population municipalities tend to have lower prices, while longer distances between storage and recycling facilities drive up costs. Consecutive contracts with the same recyclers and mechanical recycling methods further increase prices. These factors collectively contribute to the high cost of plastic recycling.
The plastic recycling landscape in the United States is characterized by low recycling rates and a significant amount of plastic waste ending up in landfills. Despite efforts to promote recycling, the recycling rate for plastic in the U.S. has been relatively low, ranging from 5% to 8.7% in recent years. The vast majority of plastic, even when placed in recycling bins, ends up in landfills. This is partly due to the challenges and costs associated with plastic recycling, as well as the lack of infrastructure and capacity to recycle all plastic waste domestically.
Additionally, there are controversies surrounding the promotion of plastic recycling by the oil and plastic industries. Investigations have revealed that these industries misled the public about the recyclability of plastic, even though they knew it was not economically viable on a large scale. Their advertising campaigns and initiatives created the perception that plastic was recyclable, while simultaneously profiting from the increased consumption of plastic products.
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Plastic is a growing segment of municipal solid waste
Plastic is a rapidly growing segment of municipal solid waste (MSW). In 2018, plastics generation in the United States was 35.7 million tons, accounting for 12.2% of MSW generation. While the overall recycling rate of plastics is relatively low, certain types of plastic containers have higher recycling rates. For example, the recycling rate for PET bottles and jars was 29.1% in 2018, and for HDPE natural bottles, it was 29.3%. However, even these recyclable plastics face challenges. Between 30% and 36% of PET bottles are wasted during the recycling process, and they may not be recycled to the extent believed.
The recycling rate for plastics in the US has been declining. In 2014, the rate was 9.5%, falling to 8.7% in 2018, and further still to between 5% and 6% in 2021. This means that of the 40 million tons of municipal plastic waste generated in 2021, only about 2 to 2.4 million tons were recycled, while at least 80% was sent to landfill sites. The remaining plastic waste likely ended up in the environment, including the oceans, contributing to the death of marine life and causing frustration with the US recycling system.
The reasons for the low recycling rates and the growing segment of plastic in MSW are multi-faceted. Firstly, plastic is inexpensive and easy to produce, so more is being manufactured and consumed. Secondly, plastic is challenging to recycle as it is expensive to collect and sort, and it degrades quickly. Furthermore, there is a lack of infrastructure in the US to recycle plastic waste domestically, leading to a reliance on exporting it to other countries. However, many countries, including China, have restricted foreign waste imports, further straining the US recycling system.
To address the issue of plastic waste, environmentalists and lawmakers are advocating for legislation banning single-use plastics and promoting "bottle bills" that incentivize consumers to return plastic bottles for recycling. Additionally, there are calls for a Global Plastics Treaty to end plastic pollution and transition to reuse and refill systems or no packaging at all. Despite these efforts, the plastic waste problem persists, and industry officials have been criticized for misleading the public about the recyclability of plastic.
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Plastic recycling is practically impossible
There are now thousands of different types of plastic, each with its own composition and characteristics, and they cannot be melted down together. Plastic products include toxic additives and absorb chemicals, and they degrade after one or two uses. As a result, plastic trash has few markets, and it is expensive to collect, sort, transport, and reprocess. The more plastic is reused, the more toxic it becomes.
The petrochemical industry is rapidly expanding, further lowering the cost of new plastic. Recycled plastic costs more than new plastic, making plastic recycling uneconomical. Despite this, the plastics industry has waged a decades-long campaign to perpetuate the myth that plastic is recyclable. This campaign is similar to the tobacco industry's efforts to convince smokers that filtered cigarettes are healthier than unfiltered cigarettes.
Industry officials have misled the public about the recyclability of plastic, even though their own reports showed they knew as early as the 1970s and 1980s that plastic could not be economically recycled. Greenpeace found that no plastic meets the threshold to be called "recyclable" according to standards set by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation New Plastic Economy Initiative, which requires a recycling rate of 30%.
Environmentalists and lawmakers are pushing for legislation to ban single-use plastics and implement "bottle bills" that pay customers to return their plastic bottles. The real solution, according to Greenpeace, is to switch to systems of reuse and refill, and it is time for corporations to turn off the plastic tap.
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Frequently asked questions
The US recycled only 5-6% of its plastic waste in 2021.
In 2021, 85% of plastic waste in the US ended up in landfills. In 2018, 18.5% of all MSW (municipal solid waste) that went to landfills was plastic.
The EPA released the "National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution," which focuses on actions to eliminate plastic pollution in the environment. Environmentalists and lawmakers in some states are pushing for legislation banning single-use plastics and "bottle bills" that pay customers to return their plastic bottles.
Plastic is expensive to collect and sort, and it degrades after one or two uses. It is also difficult to collect, virtually impossible to sort, environmentally harmful, and expensive to reprocess. Plastic also often contains toxic materials.
