The Myths of Recycling

Plastic recycling was never designed to handle the massive scale of plastic production. Scientists estimate that only 9% of all the plastic waste ever produced up until 2015 has actually been recycled.

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Recycling a false solution: the 50-year lie

For over 50 years, Big Oil and the plastics industry have deceptively promoted recycling—knowing it isn’t viable on a large scale—to shift responsibility onto consumers and evade accountability for the pollution crisis they created. 
A 2022 Greenpeace USA report revealed that plastic recycling rates in the U.S. are dismally low, at just 5%. Without strict standards for sorting, quality, and destination of plastic waste, much of what is recycled is actually downcycled into lower-quality, less functional materials. Even worse, these recycled plastics often contain higher levels of toxic chemicals, making them less safe for human use. 

Additionally, much of the packaging collected for “recycling” in the Global North is exported to the Global South, where inadequate infrastructure and regulations make it difficult to manage the influx of trash from both domestic and foreign sources. Before banning the trade in 2018, China alone imported nearly 8 million tons of plastic waste annually; today, Southeast Asia has become the top destination. 

With plastic production projected to triple by 2050, recycling alone cannot solve the plastic pollution crisis. It’s like trying to mop up an overflowing bathtub without turning off the tap. To truly tackle plastic pollution, we must focus on upstream solutions that cut plastic production at its source. We must start by turning off the tap.

How to tackle the plastic crisis

We refuse to be misled by these false solutions any longer–the time has come to stop throwaway plastic for good. Recycling alone is not enough; it must be part of a broader transformation of how we produce and consume plastics. Consumer goods companies, the largest users of single-use plastic, must fundamentally change how they deliver their products. This means adapting proven solutions like refill and reuse systems, plastic-free packaging, or a mix of these approaches. While alternatives are emerging globally, even more innovation is necessary to create change at the scale needed. 

With their vast resources, businesses have the opportunity to drive this shift by becoming leaders in the innovation and adoption of new delivery and packaging systems. 

Some progressive and ambitious businesses from around the world have already taken a stand, signing an open letter calling on world governments to negotiate an ambitious Global Plastic Treaty that will cut plastic production for good – and make it easier for companies to do the right thing.

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The Global Plastics Treaty

Plastics and health