The recycling economy of plastics, widely praised by the industry, is a “myth”, according to a report by Greenpeace USA on Monday. According to the data, US households produced 51 million tons of plastic waste in 2021, of which only 2.4 million tons were recycled.
The recycling rate has been falling for years
After hitting a record high of 10 percent in 2014, recycling rates have fallen, particularly since China stopped accepting Western plastic waste in 2018, the report said. The production of new, non-recycled plastics is increasing rapidly.
Big companies avoid responsibility
“Industry groups and large companies are pushing for recycling as a solution. In doing so, they avoided any responsibility, Greenpeace USA campaign manager Lisa Ramsden told AFP.” Ramsden cited the companies Coca-Cola, Pepsi Co, Unilever and Nestlé as the main culprits.
Also, according to Greenpeace USA, only two types of plastic are accepted at the country’s 375 recycling facilities: polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is commonly used in water and soda bottles, and high-density polyethylene (HDPE), which is found in things like shampoo bottles. and finding detergent containers.
However, the recycling rate for PET and HDPE products was only 20.9 percent and 10.3 percent – both values slightly lower than the last survey conducted in 2020 by Greenpeace USA.
(AFP)