4 ms·

> a scam perpetuated by the plastic industry What does this actually mean and what are you basing it on? Without any sources or references it reads a bit like

> a scam perpetuated by the plastic industry What does this actually mean and what are you basing it on? Without any sources or references it reads a bit like FUD.

stavros 3y ago
There have been a few articles about that recently. However, you can notice it for yourself if you notice how many products claim to be "recyclable" but how few are recycled. If recycling were widespread, you'd expect the vast majority of products to be made with recycled plastic.
- AlecSchueler 3y ago
  The ineffectives of recycling is one thing, but the person above posited that the paid industry were up to no good as well.
peoplefromibiza 3y ago
I guess it might refer to the fact that 80% of the plastic produced ends up in landfills and it's not recycled, for different reasons, one of them is that recycling plastic is very expensive. Also there are several different types of plastic that do not melt together, or do not melt at all, and can't be easily recycled or reused. It also degrades and becomes more toxic on every cycle and, unlike glass, health safety of recycled plastic cannot be guaranteed so to package food the only safe option is to make new plastic.
- distances 3y ago
  Is the 80% a number for the US? In northern Europe I assume that a small percentage is recycled and the rest is incinerated for electricity and heat -- landfill usage has restrictions in the EU. Some countries like Sweden and Finland use incineration to such extent that they have a lack of domestic waste and have to import it [0]. [0] https://yle.fi/a/74-20076606 https://yle.fi/a/74-20076606
  - peoplefromibiza 3y ago
    according to Our World in data While we might think that much of the world's plastic waste is recycled, only 9% is. Half of the world's plastic still goes straight to landfill. Another fifth is mismanaged – meaning it is not recycled, incinerated, or kept in sealed landfills – putting it at risk of being leaked into rivers, lakes, and the ocean. I misworded my first sentence, I meant that 80% either goes to the landfill or it's not recycled, but apparently it's more like 70%.
- AlecSchueler 3y ago
  That's fine but calling it a scam by the plastic industry suggests intention, bad inventing, from the plastic industry. I'm asking if that's the case.
apendleton 3y ago
Here's an article: https://newrepublic.com/article/179267/recycling-doesnt-work-plastics-industry-knew https://newrepublic.com/article/179267/recycling-doesnt-work... The gist: similar to Big Tobacco, etc., internally with the plastics industry, there seems to have been a much greater degree of pessimism about the long-term economic viability of plastics recycling, but it was sold to the public anyway via ad campaigns and lobbying to forestall regulation or legislation limiting plastics as public sentiment was shifting towards a greater sense of environmental awareness.
Ensorceled 3y ago
It takes mere moments to google "how much plastic is actually recycled" You would have to be naive to believe that executives in the petroleum and plastic industries are unaware of how little plastic is actually recycled rather than complicit.
- AlecSchueler 3y ago
  I'm aware of how much plastic is recycled. I'm not convinced that the plastic industry conspired to pull the wool over the publics eyes about it.

> a scam perpetuated by the plastic industry What does this actually mean and what are you basing it on? Without any sources or references it reads a bit like FUD.

stavros 3y ago

There have been a few articles about that recently. However, you can notice it for yourself if you notice how many products claim to be "recyclable" but how few are recycled. If recycling were widespread, you'd expect the vast majority of products to be made with recycled plastic.

AlecSchueler 3y ago
The ineffectives of recycling is one thing, but the person above posited that the paid industry were up to no good as well.

peoplefromibiza 3y ago

I guess it might refer to the fact that 80% of the plastic produced ends up in landfills and it's not recycled, for different reasons, one of them is that recycling plastic is very expensive. Also there are several different types of plastic that do not melt together, or do not melt at all, and can't be easily recycled or reused. It also degrades and becomes more toxic on every cycle and, unlike glass, health safety of recycled plastic cannot be guaranteed so to package food the only safe option is to make new plastic.

distances 3y ago
Is the 80% a number for the US? In northern Europe I assume that a small percentage is recycled and the rest is incinerated for electricity and heat -- landfill usage has restrictions in the EU. Some countries like Sweden and Finland use incineration to such extent that they have a lack of domestic waste and have to import it [0]. [0] https://yle.fi/a/74-20076606 https://yle.fi/a/74-20076606
- peoplefromibiza 3y ago
  according to Our World in data While we might think that much of the world's plastic waste is recycled, only 9% is. Half of the world's plastic still goes straight to landfill. Another fifth is mismanaged – meaning it is not recycled, incinerated, or kept in sealed landfills – putting it at risk of being leaked into rivers, lakes, and the ocean. I misworded my first sentence, I meant that 80% either goes to the landfill or it's not recycled, but apparently it's more like 70%.
AlecSchueler 3y ago
That's fine but calling it a scam by the plastic industry suggests intention, bad inventing, from the plastic industry. I'm asking if that's the case.

apendleton 3y ago

Here's an article: https://newrepublic.com/article/179267/recycling-doesnt-work-plastics-industry-knew https://newrepublic.com/article/179267/recycling-doesnt-work... The gist: similar to Big Tobacco, etc., internally with the plastics industry, there seems to have been a much greater degree of pessimism about the long-term economic viability of plastics recycling, but it was sold to the public anyway via ad campaigns and lobbying to forestall regulation or legislation limiting plastics as public sentiment was shifting towards a greater sense of environmental awareness.

Ensorceled 3y ago

It takes mere moments to google "how much plastic is actually recycled" You would have to be naive to believe that executives in the petroleum and plastic industries are unaware of how little plastic is actually recycled rather than complicit.

AlecSchueler 3y ago
I'm aware of how much plastic is recycled. I'm not convinced that the plastic industry conspired to pull the wool over the publics eyes about it.