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Aside from a few select product categories, recycling IS a scam. E.g.: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/17/plastic-recycling-myth-what-really-h
by coldtea 8mo ago
Aside from a few select product categories, recycling IS a scam.
E.g.: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/17/plastic-recycling-myth-what-really-happens-your-rubbish https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/17/plastic-...
Recycling mostly means "sent to landfills in the third world":
https://earth.org/waste-colonialism-a-brief-history-of-dumping-rich-countries-trash-in-the-global-south/ https://earth.org/waste-colonialism-a-brief-history-of-dumpi...
https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2023/03/rich-countries-nations-waste-plastic-exports-chemical-contamination/ https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2023/03/rich-countri...
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/14/opinion/trash-recycling-global-waste-trade.html https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/14/opinion/trash-recycling-g...
- shafyy 8mo agoIt really depends on the type of material and country. Many monoplastics and almost all cardboard can be recycled and is (e.g. in Germany and other European countries). > Recycling mostly means "sent to landfills in the third world" This is less true now that China banned plastic waste imports. I agree though that the average person might overestimate how much of their waste can be recycled. However, many materials are recycled and then re-used, so it's not like the whole concept is a scam.