Only five percent of the material was in the correct condition to be recycled.
Of the 40 million tons of plastic waste generated in the United States last year, only five to six percent—or about two million tons—was recycled, according to a new =”https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5eda91260bbb7e7a4bf528d8/t/62726edceb7cc742d53eb073/1651666652743/The+Real+Truth+about+the+U.S.+Plastic+Recycling+Rate+2021+Facts+and+Figures+_5-4-22.pdf” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>report, conducted by the environmental groups Beyond Plastics and The Last Beach Cleanup. About 85 percent went to landfills, and ten percent was incinerated. The rate of plastic recycling decreased since 2018, when it was at 8.7 percent, per the study.
“The paltry 5-6 percent U.S. plastic recycling rate in 2021 should be a wake-up call to the false promise that plastic recycling is a credible solution to plastic waste and pollution,” the report states. “It’s time to implement real solutions, particularly the reduction of single-use plastic food service items that have the highest likelihood of polluting our environment.”
U.S. plastic waste exports, which are included in recycling rates, decreased from 1.84 million tons in 2017 to 0.61 million tons in 2021 as countries such as China began ceasing to accept America’s waste, per the report. The U.S. doesn’t have the capability to recycle all of its own plastic, Jan Dell, founder of the Last Beach Cleanup, tells the Guardian’s Katharine Gammon.
“We don’t have factories to do it,” she tells the publication. “It’s also very water-intensive, so we’re not going to build more plastic recycling facilities in the U.S.”
But despite a lack of recycling facilities, plastic waste has increased five-fold in the U.S. from 1980 to 2018. In 1980, the U.S. produced 7.4 million tons of plastic waste, and 38 years later, that number grew to 35.7 million tons, per the report.
At its peak in 2014, plastic recycling rates only reached 9.5 percent. Yet the authors write the low level of plastic recycling doesn’t seem to lie in the act of recycling itself, because paper recycling has increased from 21.3 percent in 1980 to 68.2 percent in 2018.
Instead, they blame a “decades-long misinformation campaign to perpetuate the myth that plastic is recyclable.” Additionally, Judith Enck, the president of Beyond Plastics, tells Earther’s Angely Mercado that the three arrow recycling symbol is misleading, because most municipalities recycle only certain types of plastics.
“Consumers are understandably confused,” Enck tells the organization. “They see the recycling logo, so they put the plastic packaging in their recycling bin.”
When residents co-mingle recyclable plastics with non-recyclable plastics, they contaminate loads, which then “usually get bundled for landfills or incineration,” per the study.
Even plastics that do make it to recycling facilities aren't all recycled, the authors report, stating that 30 to 36 percent of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles are wasted during the recycling process.
“We need new laws on the books that reduce the amount of plastic packaging,” Enck tells Earther. “Because these companies are not going to reduce enough on their own, and consumers are left with little choices.”
7,667 comments
MorganMisse
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HankCut
Skimmed first and then went back to read carefully, and the careful read paid off in places I had missed, and a stop at kovalyn got the same treatment, the rare site whose content rewards a second pass is content I want more of in my regular rotation rather than disposable single read articles.
EdgarKeque
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Lexgob
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Otisskisk
Considered alongside other sources I have been reading this one consistently rises to the top, and a stop at orderpad maintained that top ranking, the informal ongoing comparison between sources is something I do whenever reading on a topic and this site keeps coming out near the top of those comparisons over many sessions.
Stephencrode
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Corykig
Looking back on this reading session it stands as one of the better ones recently, and a look at schemaatelier extended that ranking, the informal ranking of reading sessions against each other is something I do mentally and this session ranks high largely because of this site and a couple of related pages here.
Alfredchulk
Felt like the writer was speaking directly to someone with my level of curiosity, neither talking down nor showing off, and a stop at pixelparade kept that comfortable matching going, finding writing that meets you where you are rather than asking you to climb up or stoop down feels great every time it happens.
Joecoche
Strong recommendation, anyone interested in this topic owes themselves a visit, and a stop at datafort extends that recommendation across more of the site, this is the kind of resource that makes me more optimistic about the state of the open web than I usually am these days actually for once which is genuinely refreshing.
Keenanloams
Genuinely changed how I think about a small piece of the topic, which does not happen often online, and a look at spruceandstyle added another nudge in the same direction, the kind of writing that earns a small mental shift rather than just confirming what you already thought before reading is a sign of careful thought.
Tedlom
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CordellBOG
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Sheldonham
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Danieladeks
Considered alongside other sources I have been reading this one consistently rises to the top, and a stop at ga4gear maintained that top ranking, the informal ongoing comparison between sources is something I do whenever reading on a topic and this site keeps coming out near the top of those comparisons over many sessions.
Reggiehicky
Most posts I read end up forgotten within a day but this one is sticking, and a look at inventoryisland extended that lingering effect, content that survives the immediate moment of reading rather than evaporating is content with genuine retention quality and this site has been producing memorable pieces at a rate notable across my reading.
EdwardTix
Reading this prompted a small note in my reference file, and a stop at pebblemart prompted another, the rare site that contributes useful nuggets to my own working knowledge rather than just consuming my attention is worth the time investment many times over compared to the usual pile of forgettable scroll content.
MateoRem
A genuinely unexpected highlight of my reading week, and a look at pcpartspavilion extended that pattern, the surprise of finding excellent content rather than the predictable mediocre is one of the few real pleasures of casual web browsing and this site delivered that surprise cleanly today which I really do appreciate.
JimTug
Now realising the post has been quietly doing important work in my mind for the past hour, and a stop at pcpartspal extended that quiet processing, content that continues to do work after I close the tab is content with afterlife in the mind and this site is producing those long lived effects at a meaningful rate.
LucianMar
Just sat back at the end of the post and felt grateful that someone took the time to write it, and a look at basketberry extended that gratitude across more of the site, recognising effort behind quality work is part of what makes the open web a community rather than just a marketplace today.
Jaydensmort
Approaching this site through a casual link click and being surprised by what I found, and a look at ivoryaisle extended the surprise, the rare experience of stumbling into excellent independent content rather than predictable mediocrity is one of the actual remaining pleasures of casual web browsing and this site provided it cleanly.
Jamesthase
Honestly impressed, did not expect to find this level of care on the topic, and a stop at irvanta cemented the impression, you can tell within the first few paragraphs whether a site is going to be worth the time and this one delivered on that early promise nicely throughout the rest of what I read.
Eugenesteef
More substantial than most of what I find searching for this topic online, and a stop at meridianbasket kept that quality consistent, this is one of those sites where the writing actually rewards careful reading rather than punishing the patient reader with empty filler stretched out across long paragraphs that say very little.
Horacenal
Bookmark earned and shared the link with one specific person who would care, and a look at cindora got the same targeted share, sharing carefully rather than broadcasting is a discipline I try to maintain and this site is generating shares from me at a sustainable rate rather than the spam rate of viral content.
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A modest masterpiece in its own quiet way, and a look at speedstream confirmed the same quiet quality across the rest of the site, calling something a masterpiece is usually overstating but for content this carefully crafted the word feels appropriate even if the writers themselves would probably resist the label honestly.
MatthewDar
Ended up here on a wandering afternoon and was glad I stayed for the read, and a stop at parcelpilot extended the wandering into a proper exploration of the site, the kind of place that rewards aimless clicking with something genuinely interesting rather than the shallow content that mostly populates the modern open web.
AveryVed
Most blog writing on this subject reaches for the same handful of arguments and this post avoided them, and a look at crestivo continued the original treatment, content that finds its own path through territory other writers have flattened is content with real authorial energy and this site has plenty of that distinctive energy.
SterlingGuh
Thank you for the genuine effort here, it shows in every paragraph and not just the headline, and after my visit to microbrandmagnet I was sure this site cares about getting things right rather than chasing clicks, which is the main reason I will come back later this week to read more.
WilburnuP
Bookmark folder reorganised slightly to make this site easier to find, and a look at yelvora earned the same accessibility upgrade, the small organisational moves I make for sites I expect to return to often are themselves a signal of how much I trust them and this site triggered those moves naturally.
Borislip
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AlecMed
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HunterGor
Now adding this site to a small mental group of recommendations I keep ready for specific kinds of inquiries, and a stop at hollowcart extended the recommendation readiness, content that I can confidently point friends and colleagues toward in specific contexts is content with real social utility and this site has that utility clearly.
SamsonUtern
Reading this on a difficult day was a small bright spot, and a stop at gladevendor extended that brightness, content that improves a hard day is content that has earned a particular kind of place in my reading habits and this site is occupying that uplifting role for me today which I appreciate clearly.
Stevenrab
Generally I do not leave comments but this post merits a small note, and a stop at domainward extended that comment worthy quality, the urge to actively contribute to a sites community rather than passively consume from it is something specific content provokes and this site has provoked that engagement urge from me today.
Vladimirvions
Decided to read more before commenting and the more I read the more I wanted to say something, and a stop at gymgearshop pushed that impulse further, when content provokes the urge to participate rather than just consume it is doing something quite specific and worth recognising clearly when it happens during reading.
JaceTaf
Speaking from the perspective of having read widely on the topic this site offers something distinct, and a look at pakplates reinforced that distinctness, the rare site that contributes something genuinely original to a saturated topic is the rare site worth following carefully and this one has demonstrated that original contribution capability today.
Taylorfuh
Now planning to write about the topic myself eventually using this post as a reference, and a look at solarvendor would also serve in that future piece, content that becomes raw material for my own writing rather than just informing my reading is content with multiplicative value and this site is generating that multiplicative effect.
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Honestly the simplicity is what makes this work, the topic is not buried under filler words or overly complex examples, and a quick look at sparkstorefront showed the same sensible style, I left with what I came for and no headache from over reading which is a real win these days.
Todsurge
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Kendrickteeli
Once you start reading carefully here it is hard to go back to lower quality alternatives, and a stop at tundravendor reinforced that ratchet effect, the way good content raises standards is real over time and this site has clearly contributed to raising my expectations for what is possible in writing on the topic generally.
HassanOnela
The post made the topic feel approachable without making it feel trivial, that is a fine balance, and a stop at canadacabin maintained the same balance, finding the middle ground between welcoming and serious is genuinely difficult and the writers here have clearly figured out how to consistently hit it well across many different posts.
Clarkzooth
Picked this post to share in a Slack channel where I knew it would be appreciated, and a look at jewelaisle suggested I will share more from here later, content worth sharing into a professional context is content that has earned a higher kind of trust than mere personal interest and this site has it.
Damianmor
Comfortable in tone and substantive in content, that is a hard combination to land, and a look at cleanaircorner kept that pairing alive across more material, this is what good editorial direction looks like in practice and the team here clearly has someone keeping a steady hand on the wheel across what they decide to publish.
Cainnuh
Decided to read this site for a while before forming a verdict, and the verdict after several pages is positive, and a stop at emailelm continued that pattern, judging a site requires more than one post and giving sites a fair sample is something I try to do for promising candidates rather than rushing to dismiss.
GregHar
Even just sampling a few posts the consistency is what stands out, and a look at maplemeadow confirmed the broader pattern, sites where every piece I sample lives up to the standard set by the others are sites with serious quality control and this one has clearly invested in whatever editorial process produces that consistency reliably.
Cecilvions
Vague feelings of recognition kept surfacing as I read because the writing names things I have been thinking, and a look at findlark produced more of those recognition moments, content that gives shape to private intuitions is content that makes me feel less alone in my own thinking and this site has that effect.
Donzit
Came away with a small but real shift in perspective on the topic, and a stop at fioriq pushed that shift a bit further, the kind of subtle reframing that good writing does to a reader without making a big deal of it is something I always appreciate when it happens which is sadly not that often.
Lloydraife
Clean writing, easy to read, and never tries too hard to impress, that combination is harder to find than people think, and after my time on uplandmarketplace I am sure this site treats its readers well, no flashy tricks just useful content done right which is honestly all I want online.
Princehag
Took a screenshot of one section to come back to later, and a stop at screenprintshop prompted another saved tab, the urge to capture and revisit specific pieces of content is something I rarely feel but when I do it tells me the work is worth more than the average passing read for sure.
Juliusdut
Liked the way the post handled the final paragraph, no neat bow but no abrupt cutoff either, and a stop at mockupmarket continued that thoughtful ending pattern, endings are hard and most blog writers either over engineer them or skip them entirely and this site has clearly figured out a sustainable middle approach.