Selling a Mirage
The Deception Behind Plastic Recycling
The world is drowning in plastic. Producers are peddling a “solution” that is more like an illusion.
Featured Posts in this Series
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The Delusion of “Advanced” Plastic Recycling
The plastics industry has heralded a type of chemical recycling it claims could replace new shopping bags and candy wrappers with old ones — but not much is being recycled at all, and this method won’t curb the crisis.
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When Is “Recyclable” Not Really Recyclable? When the Plastics Industry Gets to Define What the Word Means.
Companies whose futures depend on plastic production are trying to persuade the federal government to allow them to put the label “recyclable” on plastic shopping bags and other items virtually guaranteed to end up in landfills and incinerators.
Impact of Our Reporting
7 stories published since 2024
