The Great Recycling Ruse: Latest Study of Big Plastic Shows a Less Than Rosy Picture

Is the plastic industry greenwashing its recycling efforts? Here are the details.

The Plastic Pitch

The plastic industry has been stepping up its advertising game in the last few years. You will likely have seen their latest ad campaign everywhere at the moment – on major networks, plastered across social media, and snuck into sports events.

Big Spenders

The ads, produced by America’s Plastic Makers – a branch of the American Chemistry Council (ACC) – are part of a huge $30 million marketing campaign launched in 2023. To put that in perspective, that’s way more than they’ve spent on lobbying – which is saying something. $11.9 million of that was just for one TV ad campaign.

Prime Time Plastic

This campaign aired on NBC, ABC, ESPN, and CNN, to name but a few networks. It paints a rosy picture of a future where plastic waste is transformed into new products, endlessly recycled without any environmental downsides in a process the plastic industry calls “advanced recycling.” 

Greenwashing or Gospel Truth?

While this sounds great, environmental experts have come out against the campaign, accusing the plastic industry of greenwashing and dishonesty. But are they actually lying to you? 

The Glamour vs. The Grit

Well, the reality is a lot less glamorous than the ad lets on. Advanced recycling, which the industry likes to call a game-changer, has been facing a lot of serious criticism. Despite what the ads suggest, there’s a growing pile of evidence that this solution is not living up to the hype.

Studies Speak

Reports and studies suggest that advanced recycling frequently falls short of its promises and may be even worse for the environment than traditional recycling methods.

Drowning in Plastic

The reality of plastic waste might shock you. Every year, the planet is choked by 350 million tons of plastic waste, and less than 10% of that waste actually gets recycled. Projections indicate that plastic pollution will double by 2030 if nothing changes.

The Industry’s Silver Bullet

The industry’s plan is to keep the plastic flowing and throw money at advanced recycling, which is supposed to be the answer. But the truth is that these recycling technologies are not living up to the hype.

Molecular Magic

Advanced recycling is supposed to break down plastics into basic molecules, supposedly allowing for endless reuse, which sounds great. But the reality is far different.

The Recycled Plastic Paradox

Investigations have found that many of the products advertised as made from recycled plastic either don’t exist or contain far less recycled material than they claim. 

The Reality Check

In fact, a lot of these advanced recycling plants are still in the testing phase, and many of them are being used to convert plastic waste into fuel rather than new plastic.

Watchdogs Bark

Environmental watchdogs like Greenpeace and Beyond Plastics have dug into these projects and found that instead of recycling, most of them are burning plastic. 

Behind Schedule and Under Budget

A report from 2023 revealed that the majority of advanced recycling plants were either closed, behind schedule or operating on a shoestring budget and at a much smaller scale. 

Recycling Emissions

In fact, most of these plants are churning out more fossil fuels than actual recycled plastic. So much for saving the planet.

Old Wine in New Bottles

The whole industry has been slow to deliver on its promises, and the technologies that are supposed to make plastic recycling a breeze are often just rebranded versions of old, ineffective methods.

The Booming Business of Broken Promises

Despite all this, the market for advanced recycling is booming. The ACC has even managed to secure government funding for these plans. 

Decades of Doubt

The irony is that the plastic industry has known for decades that these so-called advanced recycling methods don’t work. Historical records show that experts have been skeptical of the technology since the 1970s. Fast forward to today, and nothing much has changed.

Peeling Back the Layers of Deception

Advanced recycling might look good on paper and in commercials, but when you peel back the layers it’s clear that the industry is still far from delivering a real fix.

Beyond the Ads

If you want to make a real difference, it might be time to start ignoring the ads and focus on cutting down plastic use in your own life. The plastic industry is unlikely to clean up its mess anytime soon.

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Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / MOHAMED ABDULRAHEEM.