WASHINGTON, DC (September 14, 2023)–In response to the Plastics Industry Association launch of a new $1 million advocacy campaign that seeks to perpetuate the recycling myth, Lisa Ramsden, Greenpeace USA’s senior plastics campaigner, said: “The Plastics Industry Association is heavily investing in marketing campaigns that are misleading the public instead of focusing on the real problems caused by plastic and solutions to address them. And why are they investing so heavily in marketing? Because making plastic makes them money. They grow rich while our health, climate, and oceans suffer. No amount of marketing spin can change the fact that single-use plastic needs to go the way of ozone-destroying CFCs, asbestos and DDT. Less than 9% of plastics produced have ever been recycled, and less than 1% has been recycled more than once. Recycled plastic is often toxic, with increased concentrations of chemicals that can harm human health and the environment. It’s also important to note that just because something is labeled as “recyclable,” it doesn’t guarantee that it will actually be recycled. Unfortunately, most plastics end up being burned, dumped in landfills, or littering our neighborhoods and waterways.”
“The only effective solution to plastic pollution is to stop producing so much of it – especially throwaway plastic packaging. We must reduce plastic production by at least 75% to ensure that we stay below 1.5° C for our climate and to protect human health, human rights, our communities, and the planet. Greenpeace USA will continue to advocate for a strong Global Plastics Treaty that caps production and eliminates unnecessary types and uses of plastic.”
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Contact: Tanya Brooks, Greenpeace USA Senior Communications Specialist, P: 703-342-9226, E: [email protected]
Greenpeace USA is part of a global network of independent campaigning organizations that use peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future. Greenpeace USA is committed to transforming the country’s unjust social, environmental, and economic systems from the ground up to address the climate crisis, advance racial justice, and build an economy that puts people first. Learn more at www.greenpeace.org/usa.
