Alexei Volkov
Plastic recycling is a complex and often confusing topic. While recycling is essential for reducing plastic waste and protecting the environment, the process is not always straightforward. The recycling symbols on plastic products can be confusing, and the fate of recycled plastic is not always clear. For instance, some plastics are easier to recycle than others, and certain types may not be accepted by recycling facilities. Additionally, the recycling infrastructure varies across different regions, and there have been instances of waste being improperly handled or shipped overseas, leading to environmental and public health concerns. Despite these challenges, recycling plastic is crucial as it reduces the need for extracting new resources, saves energy, and helps combat plastic pollution.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Plastic recycling rates | In 2018, only 4.4% of plastics in the municipal solid waste stream were recycled |
| Plastic recycling process | Plastic is turned into new products |
| Plastic recycling destinations | The UK sends most of its recycled plastic packaging overseas |
| Plastic recycling measurement | The amount of 'input' material into a recycling process is counted as recycling |
| Plastic recycling symbols | Plastics are classified into one of seven categories with different materials being more or less easy to recycle |
| Plastic recycling benefits | Recycling plastic reduces the need for new plastic made from raw materials, saving energy and carbon in the process |
| Plastic recycling challenges | China, previously the world's largest market for recycled waste, restricted the import of contaminated and poor-quality plastics |
| Plastic recycling alternatives | Reusable products, such as grocery bags, help limit the amount of plastic generated |
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What You'll Learn
- Plastic recycling is often sent abroad to be processed
- Plastic is sorted into seven categories, some easier to recycle than others
- The oil and gas industry has misled the public about the viability of plastic recycling
- China, previously the world's largest market for recycled waste, has now restricted imports
- Recycling plastic is still better than landfill or incineration
Plastic recycling is often sent abroad to be processed
There are several reasons why plastic recycling is sent abroad. One reason is that it is often cheaper to process plastic waste in foreign countries, making it economically beneficial for countries to export their plastic waste. Additionally, there is a high demand for recycled plastics in manufacturing industries, as they can be repurposed into other goods. Recycled plastics are often cheaper than virgin plastics made from scratch, making them a desirable resource for many countries.
However, the practice of sending plastic waste abroad has faced significant criticism and challenges in recent years. One major issue is the contamination of recycling streams, where non-recyclable materials and dirty or contaminated plastics are mixed in with recyclable waste. This has led to concerns about environmental and public health risks, with importing countries such as China, Malaysia, and Thailand implementing restrictions or bans on plastic waste imports. These countries have found the surge of waste difficult to manage, and some have discovered illegally dumped or burned waste within their borders.
To address these issues, 187 countries adopted the Basel Convention plastic scrap and waste amendments in 2019, which regulate the trade of plastic waste. Under these amendments, most plastic scrap falls into two categories: non-hazardous plastic scrap, which includes contaminated or mixed waste, and hazardous plastic waste. As a result, countries must obtain prior written consent from importing countries before exporting plastic waste, allowing for better control and regulation of the trade.
Despite these challenges and restrictions, there is still a significant demand for locations to send plastic waste for recycling. This highlights the need to improve waste management systems and practices in both high-income and low-to-middle-income countries to effectively tackle the global plastic pollution problem.
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Plastic is sorted into seven categories, some easier to recycle than others
Plastic is a critical material for many countries, given its cheap and durable nature. The oil industry makes more than $400 billion a year by manufacturing plastic. However, plastic waste is a key concern for environmentalists, governments and organisations, as the majority of plastics are disposed of in non-environmentally friendly ways, resulting in polluted oceans, overextended landfills and ecological damage.
Plastic is sorted into seven categories, each with a number inside a small triangle of arrows, known as a resin code. These numbers correspond to different types of plastic, which differ in size, colour, usage and disposal. Types 1 and 2 plastics may be tossed into standard recycling bins. However, other types may not be permitted, depending on the municipality's guidelines. For instance, plastic bags, or type 4 plastic, can get tangled in recycling equipment and are therefore not accepted in recycling bins.
Some plastics are easier to recycle than others. For example, PET or PETE, denoted by number 1, is used to make bottles for soda, water and other drinks, and can be recycled. HDPE plastics, or number 2, are also commonly recycled and are used to make milk jugs, shampoo bottles, cleaning product containers and detergent bottles. LDPE, or plastic-type #4, can technically be recycled, but it is not often done as it is a very cheap and low-quality plastic, making it not financially worthwhile. Number 3 plastics, or polyvinyl chloride, are not recyclable in normal collections.
The recyclability of plastic types depends on how they are made. Thermoset plastics contain polymers that form irreversible chemical bonds and cannot be recycled, whereas thermoplastics can be re-melted and re-molded. Examples of non-recyclable plastics include bioplastics, composite plastic, plastic-coated wrapping paper, polycarbonate and cling film.
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The oil and gas industry has misled the public about the viability of plastic recycling
The oil and gas industry has a long history of misleading the public about the viability of plastic recycling. Despite knowing that plastic is not designed for recycling and will not be recycled at scale, the industry has spent millions of dollars promoting the idea that plastic can be recycled. This has led to increased plastic production and significant profits for oil and gas companies while contributing to the global plastic waste crisis.
Internal industry documents and interviews with former officials reveal that the oil and gas industry was aware of the limitations of plastic recycling as early as the 1970s. A 1973 report by scientists tasked with forecasting potential issues for top industry executives stated that recycling plastic was unlikely to happen on a broad scale due to the degradation of plastic with each reuse and the high costs of sorting and processing. Despite this knowledge, the industry spent tens of millions of dollars on advertisements promoting the benefits of recycling plastic. These advertisements were often disguised as environmentalist messages, when in reality, most plastic was being buried, burned, or ending up in the ocean.
The oil industry makes more than $400 billion a year from plastic production, and with the declining demand for oil from cars and trucks, companies are turning to plastic as a source of future profits. By promoting the idea of recycling, the industry has been able to increase plastic production and consumption while creating a false sense of environmental responsibility.
The deception of the oil and gas industry has been exposed by investigations, lawsuits, and growing public awareness. In 2020, an investigation by NPR and PBS Frontline revealed how the industry used the promise of recycling to sell more plastic, even when they knew it was not economically viable. In 2024, California became the first state to sue ExxonMobil, accusing the company of misleading the public about recycling and contributing to the plastic pollution crisis. The lawsuit alleges that ExxonMobil's claims of "advanced" or "chemical" recycling are deceptive and that the company's "'certified circular polymers' contain virtually no waste plastic".
As the truth about the limitations of plastic recycling becomes more widely known, there is a growing movement to hold the oil and gas industry accountable for its deception and the environmental harm caused by plastic waste.
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China, previously the world's largest market for recycled waste, has now restricted imports
China's decision to restrict imports of recycled waste has had a significant impact on global recycling efforts. For many years, China was the world's largest market for recycled waste, particularly plastics. However, in 2017, China announced its "'National Sword'" policy, which banned the import of most plastic waste and other materials.
The ban came into effect on the first day of 2018 and included 24 types of waste, such as plastic bottles, packaging, food containers, and industrial plastic waste. This move was partly due to the documentary "Plastic China", which highlighted the issue of contaminated and soiled waste from Western countries overwhelming Chinese processing facilities. China's decision left many countries and waste companies scrambling for alternatives, as they had relied heavily on China as a market for their recycled waste.
The ban has had a noticeable effect on global plastic waste trade flow, with a sharp decline in the amount of plastic waste being exported to China. This has caused a major global shift in how recycled materials are processed, with plastic waste ending up in landfills, incinerators, or littering the environment. It has also led to a rise in waste being sent to other countries, such as Malaysia, Thailand, and India, which has resulted in similar environmental concerns.
However, some experts see China's ban as an opportunity to develop better solutions for a growing throwaway culture and to improve waste management practices. It has also forced countries to reduce their consumption of plastic products and improve their recycling technology and management of plastic waste. In the long term, environmental activists believe that China's restrictions will be a win for sustainability, as countries will be forced to tackle their waste management issues and reduce their reliance on exporting waste.
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Recycling plastic is still better than landfill or incineration
Plastic recycling is confusing because, in reality, much of the plastic that is put out for recycling is not recycled. In the US, less than 10% of plastic waste is recycled each year, with the rest ending up in landfills, incinerators, or as litter. Similarly, in the UK, recycling rates have stagnated in recent years, with much of the plastic waste being burned in incinerators or sent to landfill.
Despite the confusion and the low recycling rates, recycling plastic is still better than sending it to landfill or incinerating it. Recycling is the most environmentally friendly option when compared to landfill or incineration. Recycling plastic gives the material the best chance of a new life, keeping it out of the environment. It also reduces the need for new plastic to be made from raw materials, saving energy and carbon in the process. It takes 75% less energy to make a plastic bottle from recycled plastic compared to new plastic.
Recycling also saves massive amounts of CO2 emissions and can play a key role in meeting climate change objectives. It creates more jobs than incineration or landfill, benefitting the whole economy. For example, in Nova Scotia, Canada, 1000 jobs were created in the collection and treatment of discarded materials, and Recology, San Francisco's primary recycling, composting, and waste company, employs 1000 workers.
Incineration is an expensive practice that requires significant financial investment from local authorities, which is ultimately covered by public funds and results in higher taxes and bills for citizens. It also disincentivizes citizens to care about what they consume, which is dangerous in a world with finite resources.
Landfills are also highly engineered systems that lock away plastic waste for hundreds or thousands of years. They contribute no economic or environmental benefit and can leach toxic chemicals.
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Frequently asked questions
Plastic recycling is confusing because of the many different types of plastics, each with its own recycling process. Some plastics are easier to recycle than others, and some cannot be recycled at all.
Plastics are classified into seven categories, with different materials being more or less easy to recycle. The ones to look out for that can commonly be recycled are:
- Plastic bottles
- Jugs
- Milk jugs
- Detergent bottles
- Shampoo/conditioner bottles
Some plastics are made with materials that cannot be recycled, or are too expensive to recycle. For example, the labels around plastic bottles are unlikely to be recycled because they are made with different materials that cannot be easily separated.
Plastic that cannot be recycled often ends up in landfills, where it can take hundreds of years to decompose. It can also be burned, which creates harmful greenhouse gases.
Look for the recycling symbol on plastic products, usually a triangle made of three arrows with a number or letter in the centre. This will tell you what type of plastic it is and how it can be recycled. Also, try to reduce your use of single-use plastics and switch to reusable alternatives whenever possible.
