The Truth About Recycling

Imagine this scene: You finish a bottle of water and make sure to toss it into the recycling bin, because you know how harmful plastic can be to the environment. By keeping the bottle out of the garbage, you feel confident that you’ve helped protect the planet. You give yourself a mental pat on the back for taking this small but necessary step.

There’s just one problem: A huge portion of the stuff that Americans think is getting recycled is actually going to landfills with the rest of the trash. In other words, the vast majority of supermarket containers, takeout boxes, and plastic silverware that you and your family diligently sort to get reused in some fashion likely ends up buried in mountains of garbage.

“Recyclable is possibly the most meaningless word,” says Roland Geyer, a professor of environmental science at the University of California at Santa Barbara. “Much of the activities surrounding plastic recycling . . . generate little to no environmental benefit.”

Imagine this scene: You finish a bottle of water and make sure to toss it into the recycling bin. Your motivation is simple: You know how harmful plastic can be to the environment. By keeping the bottle out of the garbage, you feel confident that you’ve helped protect the planet. You give yourself a mental pat on the back for taking this small but necessary step.

There’s just one problem: That bottle might actually not get recycled. Instead, it’ll most likely end up in a landfill with the rest of the trash. In fact, a huge chunk of the stuff that Americans think is getting recycled just goes to landfills. That includes the supermarket containers, takeout boxes, and plastic utensils that you and your family do your best to sort for reuse.

“Recyclable is possibly the most meaningless word,” says Roland Geyer, a professor of environmental science at the University of California at Santa Barbara. “Much of the activities surrounding plastic recycling . . . generate little to no environmental benefit.”

Of the seven types of plastic that people put into recycling bins, five categories almost never get recycled (see “What That Recycling Symbol Means (and Doesn’t Mean)” below). In fact, about 8.5 percent of discarded plastic in the U.S. went through the recycling process in 2018, the latest year for which figures are available, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (E.P.A.).

So why have we all been taught to discard our used plastic into blue recycling bins, when most of that waste is going to landfills? Experts say the plastics industry has done a great job marketing recycling as an easy way to be environmentally conscious. The industry wants consumers to think they can use plastic products without doing damage to the planet. The truth is, most recycling facilities aren’t sophisticated enough to process many common plastics, even if you find the ubiquitous “chasing arrows” sign on the package.

There are seven kinds of plastic that people put into recycling bins. Five types of plastic almost never get recycled (see “What That Recycling Symbol Means (and Doesn’t Mean)” below). In fact, about 8.5 percent of discarded plastic in the U.S. went through the recycling process in 2018, the latest year for which figures are available, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (E.P.A.).

So why have we all been taught to throw our used plastic into blue recycling bins, when most of that waste is going to landfills? Experts credit this to the plastics industry. They say it has done a great job marketing recycling as an easy way to care for the environment. The industry wants consumers to think they can use plastic products without doing damage to the planet. But most recycling facilities aren’t advanced enough to process many common plastics. And that remains the case even if a package has the popular “chasing arrows” sign on it.

In the meantime, the world is getting overrun by plastic waste. The latest numbers from the E.P.A. show that in 2018, 27 million tons of U.S. plastic ended up in landfills. There, plastic can leach harmful chemicals that spread into the soil and groundwater. And there’s no end in sight. Plastic production is increasing, with analysts predicting it will triple by 2050, creating a total of 12 billion metric tons of landfill worldwide. That’s about 35,000 times the weight of the Empire State Building.

Americans’ addiction to plastic began around World War II (1939-45). The material—most of which is made from fossil fuels—is light, efficient, and cheap, making it ideal for household goods, such as plates, cups, and utensils. Companies marketed it heavily to overworked “housewives,” promising them that, instead of washing the dishes, they could throw their plastic ones away. The marketing worked, and the throwaway lifestyle picked up steam over the next several decades.

In the meantime, the world is getting overrun by plastic waste. The latest numbers from the E.P.A. show that in 2018, 27 million tons of U.S. plastic ended up in landfills. There, plastic can leak harmful chemicals into the soil and groundwater. And there’s no end in sight. Plastic production is increasing. Analysts predict that it will triple by 2050. If so, it’ll create a total of 12 billion metric tons of landfill worldwide. That’s about 35,000 times the weight of the Empire State Building.

Americans’ addiction to plastic began around World War II (1939-45). Most of the material is made from fossil fuels. Plastic is light, efficient, and cheap. That makes it ideal for household goods, such as plates, cups, and utensils. Companies marketed it heavily to overworked “housewives.” These women were told that they could just throw plastic dishes away instead of washing them. The marketing worked. Over the next several decades that followed, the throwaway lifestyle picked up steam.

Of course, not all plastic items are meant to be tossed out after one use. The material is also used to make plenty of long-lasting devices that we rely on today, including car seat belts and airbags, helmets for firefighters and soldiers, and the incubators that keep premature babies alive. In those instances, plastic is helping to save lives.

But plastic waste often ends up in nature, where it can cause serious problems for wildlife. Animals can suffocate inside plastic grocery bags or choke on disposable straws, for example. And when plastic ends up in the ocean, it breaks down into tiny pieces (known as microplastics), which many sea creatures mistake for food. They can fill up on so much plastic that they don’t have room in their stomachs for real nutrients, leading them to ultimately die of starvation.

Of course, not all plastic items are meant to be tossed out after one use. The material is also used to make plenty of long-lasting devices that we rely on today. That includes car seat belts and airbags. You’ll also find it in the helmets for firefighters and soldiers. And it’s even used in the incubators that keep premature babies alive. In each of those instances, plastic is helping to save lives.

But plastic waste often ends up in nature, where it can cause serious problems for wildlife. For example, animals can suffocate inside plastic grocery bags or choke on disposable straws. And when plastic ends up in the ocean, it breaks down into tiny pieces. These fragments are called microplastics, and many sea creatures mistake them for food. They can fill up on so much plastic that they don’t have room in their stomachs for real nutrients. That can ultimately lead them to die of starvation.

In the 1970s, environmental activists began pushing back against plastic waste, concerned about its effects on nature. Some cities eventually went on to ban certain plastics, and many people pressured plastic manufacturers to do something about the problem.

The plastics industry eventually grew so worried about its negative image that it started pushing recycling initiatives in the '70s and '80s. While these programs were advertised as a simple and effective solution, the reality is a lot messier. Recycling is a complicated process, and it costs more to recycle most types of plastics than it does to make new ones, experts say. And there isn’t much of a market for products made out of recycled plastic, so many manufacturing companies think it’s not worth the effort or cost to deal with it.

According to an investigation chronicled in the 2020 Frontline documentary Plastic Wars, the industry never believed recycling would work in a meaningful way. Instead, it hoped the concept would erase the public’s guilt about plastic so people would continue buying plenty of it.

Environmental activists have long been concerned about the effects of plastic on nature. In the 1970s, they began pushing back against plastic waste. Some cities eventually went on to ban certain plastics. Many people also pressured plastic manufacturers to do something about the problem.

The plastics industry eventually became more worried about its negative image. As a result, it started pushing recycling initiatives in the ‘70s and ‘80s. These programs were advertised as a simple and effective solution. But the reality is a lot messier. Experts say that recycling is a complicated process. It actually costs more to recycle most types of plastics than it does to make new ones, they say. And there isn’t much of a market for products made out of recycled plastic. That’s exactly why so many manufacturing companies think it’s not worth the effort or cost to deal with it.

The 2020 Frontline documentary Plastic Wars chronicles an investigation into the plastic industry. It found that the industry never believed recycling would work in a meaningful way. Instead, it hoped the concept would erase the public’s guilt about plastic so people would continue buying plenty of it.

“If the public thinks that recycling is working, then they are not going to be as concerned about the environment,” Larry Thomas, former president of a plastics trade group, said in the documentary.

Along with the recycling initiatives came the chasing arrows symbol, often found on the bottom of plastic containers. When you see that symbol, you probably assume that the item will be recycled as long as it ends up in the right bin. But in reality, that symbol just means that the product can theoretically be recycled. There’s a good chance your local facility doesn’t have the capability to recycle it while still turning a profit, experts say. It’s often cheaper and easier to send it to a landfill instead.

Recently, the situation has grown worse. The U.S. used to export a third of its recycling—20 million tons a year—and pay countries such as China to handle it for us. But in 2018, China banned imports of various types of plastic and paper and tightened standards for materials it does accept.

This change forced hundreds of American cities and states to scale back or shut down their recycling programs, since they no longer have a place to send much of their plastic. Oregon, for example, is known for having one of the most aggressive recycling programs in the country. But residents there can no longer recycle common items such as yogurt containers and milk cartons, even though many of the packages claim to be recyclable on the label.

“Recycling has been dysfunctional for a long time,” says Mitch Hedlund, executive director of the nonprofit Recycle Across America. “But not many people really noticed when China was our dumping ground.”

“If the public thinks that recycling is working, then they are not going to be as concerned about the environment,” Larry Thomas, former president of a plastics trade group, said in the documentary.

Along with the recycling initiatives came the chasing arrows symbol. Now it’s often found on the bottom of plastic containers. When you see that symbol, you probably assume that the item will be recycled as long as it ends up in the right bin. But in reality, that symbol just means that the product can theoretically be recycled. And experts say that there’s a good chance your local facility doesn’t have the capability to recycle it while still turning a profit. It’s often cheaper and easier to send it to a landfill instead.

Recently, the situation has grown worse. The U.S. used to export a third of its recycling—20 million tons a year—and pay countries such as China to handle it for us. But in 2018, China banned imports of various types of plastic and paper. The country also tightened standards for materials it does accept. That meant that hundreds of American cities and states no longer had a place to send much of their plastic. The change forced them to scale back or shut down their recycling programs. For example, Oregon is known for having one of the most aggressive recycling programs in the country. But residents there can no longer recycle common items such as yogurt containers and milk cartons. And it doesn’t make a difference that many of the packages claim to be recyclable on the label.

“Recycling has been dysfunctional for a long time,” says Mitch Hedlund, executive director of the nonprofit Recycle Across America. “But not many people really noticed when China was our dumping ground.”

Today, many who work in the plastics industry acknowledge that U.S. recycling programs are inadequate and say that they’re working on improvements, such as making products that are easier to recycle and donating billions of dollars to sustainability projects. But to truly strengthen recycling programs, they say, they’ll need the U.S. government to support and encourage their efforts.

“The current status quo of the U.S. recycling system is insufficient . . . and strong federal leadership is needed to work in partnership with industry to ensure the advancement of recycling in the United States,” says Matt Seaholm, vice president of government affairs for the Plastics Industry Association.

As Americans grow increasingly aware of the plastic crisis, many have turned to alternatives, such as paper or biodegradable products. Unfortunately, those can also have negative effects on the planet, says Geyer from the University of California at Santa Barbara. Paper, for example, involves cutting down trees, while most biodegradable plastics don’t break down well.

“That magical green material that has no environmental impact doesn’t really exist,” Geyer says.

Today, many who work in the plastics industry acknowledge that U.S. recycling programs are inadequate. They say that they’re working on improvements, such as making products that are easier to recycle and donating billions of dollars to sustainability projects. But they say that they’ll need the U.S. government to support and encourage their efforts to truly strengthen recycling programs.

“The current status quo of the U.S. recycling system is insufficient . . . and strong federal leadership is needed to work in partnership with industry to ensure the advancement of recycling in the United States,” says Matt Seaholm, vice president of government affairs for the Plastics Industry Association.

Americans are growing increasingly aware of the plastic crisis. As a result, many have turned to alternatives, such as paper or biodegradable products. Unfortunately, those can also have negative effects on the planet, says Geyer from the University of California at Santa Barbara. Paper, for example, involves cutting down trees. And most biodegradable plastics don’t break down well.

“That magical green material that has no environmental impact doesn’t really exist,” Geyer says.

That’s why many environmental advocates would also like the government to step in. They say the country needs to enact policies that force corporations and plastic manufacturers to take more responsibility, rather than letting them shift the burden of cleaning up the Earth onto consumers.

But that doesn’t mean individuals can’t chip in too. What Americans purchase when they’re out shopping can make a difference (see “What You Can Do”). And while it’s still important that consumers recycle whatever they can, environmentalists agree that the best bet is for everyone to adopt the mindset that none of the plastic they use will get recycled. Perhaps then Americans will be motivated to change their consumption habits.

“The only material that doesn’t need disposal,” Geyer says, “is the one we never made.”

That’s why many environmental advocates would also like the government to step in. They say the country needs to enact policies that force corporations and plastic manufacturers to take more responsibility, rather than letting them shift the burden of cleaning up the Earth onto consumers.

But that doesn’t mean individuals can’t chip in too. What Americans buy when they shop can make a difference (see “What You Can Do”). And people recycling whatever they can remains important. Still, environmentalists agree that it’ll be best for everyone to act as though none of the plastic they use will get recycled. That might motivate Americans to change their consumption habits.

“The only material that doesn’t need disposal,” Geyer says, “is the one we never made.”

With additional reporting by Livia Albeck-Ripka and Michael Corkery of The New York Times.

With additional reporting by Livia Albeck-Ripka and Michael Corkery of The New York Times.