The vast majority of plastic that people put into recycling bins is headed to landfills, or worse, according to a report from Greenpeace on the state of plastic recycling in the U.S.<\/p>\n
The report cites separate data published this May which revealed that the amount of plastic actually turned into new things has fallen to new lows of around 5%. That number is expected to drop further as more plastic is produced.<\/p>\n
Greenpeace found that no plastic \u2014 not even soda bottles, one of the most prolific items thrown into recycling bins \u2014 meets the threshold to be called “recyclable” according to standards set by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation New Plastic Economy Initiative. Plastic must have a recycling rate of 30% to reach that standard; no plastic has ever been recycled and reused close to that rate.<\/p>\n
“More plastic is being produced, and an even smaller percentage of it is being recycled,” says Lisa Ramsden, senior plastic campaigner for Greenpeace USA. “The crisis just gets worse and worse, and without drastic change will continue to worsen as the industry plans to triple plastic production by 2050.”<\/p>\n
Read it all<\/a>.<\/p>\n You probably think plastic you throw into recycling bins will be\u2026 recycled. <\/p>\n The reality, however, is the vast majority heads to the landfill \u2014 only around 5% of plastic is actually being repurposed, according to a Greenpeace report. <\/p>\n Here\u2019s why🧵https:\/\/t.co\/C7QsxonLJP<\/a><\/p>\n — NPR (@NPR) October 25, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \n