Two US associations of environmental activists have published a disturbing report on plastic recycling, with the patronage of the EPA, the government agency for environmental protection. According to the document, in 2021 only 5-6% of the plastic was recycled in the United States: the data comes from the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, from statistics on US exports and on the waste industry.
More than a wake-up call, it is a tombstone: this data even worsens that of the latest survey, also promoted by the EPA. In fact, in 2018, the plastic recycling rate in the United States was 8,7%.
Data monstrously lower than the European ones, which are also worrying: in the old continent, in fact, the recycling rate of plastic it stands at around 30%.
Plastic recycling? Very little. And the rest becomes poison
Beyond Plastics, one of the two associations involved, does not go lightly: "in the USA we recycle a negligible amount of plastic, around 6%. The other 94% is disposed of in landfills, burned in incinerators or pollutes our waters, often after just a few minutes of use.” Furthermore, plastic recycling itself is wasteful: 30% of the plastic material in PET bottles is lost during the process.
Hence the terrible conclusion of the report, entrusted to the president of the association, Judith Enck:
The plastics industry needs to stop lying to the public about plastic recycling. It doesn't work, it never will work and no amount of false advertising will change that.
Another paradigm is needed
Given the fact that plastic recycling may not be enough, and that we are literally dying poisoned from this material, companies and governments need to adopt policies that reduce the production, use and disposal of plastic.
The same report notes that some public bodies have actually started to reduce consumption, imposing “bans on plastic bags and plastic water bottles”, but these policies need to be greatly increased.
Paper, for comparison, has a recycling rate of 66% in the USA, and in Europe it has averages of over 75%, with one leading country: Italy. The boot recycles 87% of paper, and has achieved European environmental objectives 15 years in advance.
In summary: plastic recycling rates are too low and this has a negative impact on the environment. We need to find a way to recycle plastic better (me cheer for it), or reduce its production.
Without a firm push we will never make it.
