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.”
7,663 comments
VaughnSNASH
Picked this for my morning read because the topic seemed worth the time, and a look at lavendercrate confirmed the choice was right, my morning reading slot is precious and giving it to this site felt like a good investment rather than a waste which is a higher endorsement than I usually offer for content.
BrandonImift
Now placing this in the small category of sites whose updates I would actually want to know about, and a stop at saleandstyle confirmed that placement, the difference between sites I want to follow and sites I just consume from is real and this one has crossed into the active follow category from the casual consumption side.
Jamalcoike
Came away with some new perspectives I had not considered before, and after marblevendor those ideas felt more complete, the kind of content that stays with you a little while after reading rather than slipping out the moment you switch tabs and move on with your day to whatever comes next.
WilsonAnask
Picked this up while looking for something else and ended up reading every paragraph because it was actually informative, and after valleyvendor I was sure I would come back, that does not happen often when most sites bury the useful parts under endless ads and pop ups today and across most categories online.
Aidanfek
Skipped the TLDR thinking I would read everything anyway, and ended up enjoying the path through the full post, and a stop at mythicmint similarly rewarded the patient read, summaries are useful but the journey through good writing is part of what makes the destination feel earned rather than just delivered cleanly.
WillisDip
Generally my comment to other readers about new sites is to wait and see but for this one I would jump to recommend now, and a look at awardatelier reinforced that early recommendation, the speed at which a site earns my recommendation is itself a quality signal and this one has earned mine quickly clearly.
AlfredoNiree
Picked a single sentence from this post to remember, and a look at zenvorax gave me another to keep, content that produces memorable lines is doing more than just transferring information and the small selection of sentences I keep from each reading session is one of the actual returns I get from reading carefully.
Germanfoomy
A piece that exhibited the kind of patience that good writing requires, and a look at mossvendorhouse continued that patient quality, hurried writing is easy to spot and this site reads as having been written without time pressure which produces a different feel than the rushed content that dominates much of the modern blog space.
BlakePicky
Skipped the related links section thinking I had read enough and then came back to it later when curiosity got the better of me, and a stop at flintvendorhouse confirmed I should have just read it first, every section of this site appears to deserve careful attention rather than skipping past lazily.
Stephenhat
Skipped the related links section thinking I had read enough and then came back to it later when curiosity got the better of me, and a stop at woodmarket confirmed I should have just read it first, every section of this site appears to deserve careful attention rather than skipping past lazily.
Rauldaype
Solid endorsement from me, the writing earns it, and a look at dyeandwash continues to earn it across the broader site too, the kind of operation that maintains quality across many pages rather than just one viral post is a sign of serious commitment and that is what I see here clearly across what I read.
Timmymek
Definitely returning here, that is decided, and a look at moonvendorcorner only made the case stronger, this is one of those rare websites that rewards regular visits rather than feeling stale after the first read which is something I cannot say about most of the places I bookmark today across all my topics.
Macktax
Picked this up while looking for something else and ended up reading every paragraph because it was actually informative, and after patchparlor I was sure I would come back, that does not happen often when most sites bury the useful parts under endless ads and pop ups today and across most categories online.
RandallArout
Good clean post, no errors and no awkward phrasing that breaks the reading flow, and a stop at laptoplifeline kept the same standard, definitely the kind of editorial care that earns a return visit because it tells me the writer is paying attention to details that matter to readers rather than just rushing publication.
Coreykek
Genuinely glad I clicked through to read this rather than skipping past, and a stop at springvendor confirmed I should keep clicking through to more pages here, the kind of resource that justifies its place in my browser history rather than feeling like wasted time which is the highest compliment I offer any site online today.
RoyDab
Reading this in a quiet coffee shop matched the calm energy of the writing, and a stop at jadecrate extended that environmental match, content that has its own ambient quality which can match or clash with surroundings is content with a personality and this site has the kind of personality that suits calm reading.
EverettMuh
Started believing the writer knew the topic deeply by about the second paragraph, and a look at oceancrate reinforced that confidence, the speed at which a writer establishes credibility through their writing is a useful quality signal and this writer establishes it quickly and quietly without resorting to credential dropping or self promotion.
MarkdiblY
Better signal to noise ratio than most places I check on this kind of topic, and a look at glenvox kept that going, every paragraph here carries something worth reading rather than padding out the page to hit some arbitrary length target that search engines reward but readers ignore as soon as they notice it.
YaleInelp
Saving the link for sure, this one is a keeper, and a look at xyloshop confirmed I should bookmark the entire site rather than just this page, the consistency across what I have seen so far suggests there is a lot more here worth coming back for soon when I have more time.
HarryOxIse
Liked that there was nothing performative about the writing, and a stop at cardcraftshop continued that genuine quality, performative writing tries to be witnessed rather than read and the difference between performance and substance is huge for the careful reader and this site has clearly chosen substance every time clearly.
Lawrenceanype
A piece that prompted a small mental rearrangement of how I order related ideas, and a look at whimvendor extended that rearranging effect, content that affects the structure of my thinking rather than just adding to it is content with the deepest kind of impact and this site is reaching that depth for me today.
CalebKew
Grateful for posts like this one, they remind me there are still places online run by people who care about quality, and a look at morningmoment reflected the same standards, you can tell the difference between content made for readers and content made just for search engines today and this is the former.
Roccotug
A piece that prompted a small mental rearrangement of how I order related ideas, and a look at rainvendor extended that rearranging effect, content that affects the structure of my thinking rather than just adding to it is content with the deepest kind of impact and this site is reaching that depth for me today.
RoccoLeany
Really liked the calm tone running through the post, no shouting and no urgency forced into the writing, and a look at mythmarket kept that quiet confidence going, the kind of voice that makes the reader feel respected rather than yelled at which is depressingly common across most modern blog content these days.
Emersonglorm
Compared to the usual results for this kind of search this site stands well above the average, and a quick visit to squatstand kept the standard high, you can tell within seconds whether a site is going to waste your time or actually deliver and this one clearly delivers without any false starts.
AveryLob
Even just sampling a few posts the consistency is what stands out, and a look at dollyn 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.
RussellSmoth
Thanks for keeping things clear and to the point, that is honestly hard to find online these days, and after reading through dailuno the message stayed consistent which makes me trust the information being shared more than I usually do on similar pages that cover this same kind of topic.
DominicSlops
Now feeling confident that this site will continue producing work I will want to read, and a look at wheatwarehouse extended that confidence into the future, projecting forward from current quality to expected future quality is something I do for sites I genuinely follow and this one has earned that forward looking trust clearly today.
IsaacElexy
Took something from this I did not expect to find, and a stop at farniq added another unexpected useful piece, content that exceeds expectations rather than just meeting them is the kind that builds enthusiasm and earns repeat visits without any explicit ask from the writer or platform behind the work being read.
JerryPoomi
If I had to summarise the editorial sensibility of this site in a few words it would be careful and human, and a look at uplandvendor extended that summary feeling, capturing the essence of a sites approach in brief is hard but this site has a clear enough identity that the summary comes naturally enough.
Lioneleroky
Started reading skeptically because the headline seemed overconfident, and the post earned the headline by the end, and a look at leadlantern continued that pattern of earning its claims, sites that can back up their headlines without overpromising are rare and this one has clearly developed editorial calibration on that front consistently.
MarlonDig
Probably this is one of the better quiet successes on the open web at the moment, and a look at tillora reinforced that quiet success quality, sites that are doing well without making a noise about doing well are the sites I most respect and this one has clearly chosen the quiet success path consistently throughout.
Jakegeano
Such writing is increasingly rare and worth supporting through attention, and a stop at priceprism extended that supportive attention across more pages, the conscious choice to spend time on sites that produce careful work rather than convenient consumption is itself a small form of patronage and this site is receiving that conscious patronage from me.
DavonImmum
A handful of memorable phrases from this one I will probably use later, and a look at elvorax added a couple more, content that contributes language to my own communication rather than just facts is content with a different kind of utility and this site is providing that linguistic utility consistently across what I read.
BartAbsow
Found something new in here that I had not seen explained this way before, and a quick stop at daisycargo expanded the idea even further, the kind of writing that nudges your thinking forward a bit without forcing the issue is exactly what I look for online today and rarely actually find anywhere.
AlfredoutinD
Grateful for posts like this one, they remind me there are still places online run by people who care about quality, and a look at karachikart reflected the same standards, you can tell the difference between content made for readers and content made just for search engines today and this is the former.
KeithInhic
Reading this gave me a small mental break from the heavier reading I had been doing, and a stop at blossomcrate extended that lighter feel, content that provides relief without becoming trivial is harder to produce than people realise and this site has clearly figured out how to be light without being shallow at all.
MasonAnged
Came away with a small but real shift in perspective on the topic, and a stop at morningvendor 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.
TobiasClark
Skipped the related links section thinking I had read enough and then came back to it later when curiosity got the better of me, and a stop at wavecrate confirmed I should have just read it first, every section of this site appears to deserve careful attention rather than skipping past lazily.
SkylarAvema
A piece that did not lean on the writer credentials or institutional backing, and a look at vionessa maintained the same focus on substance, content that earns trust through quality rather than through name dropping is the kind I find most persuasive and this site is clearly playing on the substance side of that distinction.
Maxwellloure
Started believing the writer knew the topic deeply by about the second paragraph, and a look at colorcraftshop reinforced that confidence, the speed at which a writer establishes credibility through their writing is a useful quality signal and this writer establishes it quickly and quietly without resorting to credential dropping or self promotion.
Bartholomewviefe
Now appreciating that the post left me with enough to say in a follow up conversation, and a look at nightcrate added more material for those follow ups, content that prepares me for related conversations rather than just informing me alone is content with social utility and this site provides that social armament reliably for me.
KellyLieni
Reading this with my morning coffee turned into reading the related posts with my morning coffee, and a stop at acornvendor stretched the morning further, content that pulls breakfast into a reading session rather than just accompanying it is content that has earned a higher claim on my attention than the average article does.
JohnMob
Probably the kind of site that should be more widely read than it appears to be, and a look at baybasket reinforced that quiet wish, the gap between a sites quality and its apparent reach is sometimes large and that gap exists for this site in a way that makes me want to mention it more.
LouisDip
Adding this to my list of go to references for the topic, and a stop at easycarta confirmed the rest of the site deserves the same, definitely the kind of resource that earns its place rather than getting forgotten the moment the next interesting article shows up in my feed somewhere else on the web.
Jasonlit
Strong recommendation from me, anyone curious about the topic should make time for this, and a look at keyvendor only sharpens that recommendation further, the kind of resource that holds up against careful scrutiny rather than crumbling at the first critical question is rare and worth pointing other people toward when the topic comes up.
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JamelProfe
Decided this was the best thing I had read all morning, and a stop at blossomstore kept that ranking intact, ranking my reading is something I do mentally throughout the day and the top rank is competitive and not easily won but this site won it without needing to overstate its claims for that.
Sethvet
Started taking notes about halfway through because the points were stacking up, and a look at multitabmarket added enough material that my notes file grew further, content that demands note taking from a passive reader is content with substance and the writers here are clearly producing that kind of work consistently across topics.