The Recycling Scam - Part the Infinity

Today, Greenpeace issued a comprehensive report on the state of recycling in the US.  The report is clear in it conclusion and also crystal clear in its indictment of the packaging industry which continues to hide behind the essentially phony recycling symbol that it attaches to tons of single use plastic packaging material.

Companies are liable and at risk now. Companies that make “recyclable” claims in marketing materials or on products are liable for misrepresentation and need to ensure that the claims are accurate and not deceptive or misleading. Recyclable claims or labels on products other than PET #1 and HDPE #2 bottles and jugs are not accurate in the U.S. and expose companies to legal, reputational and financial liability risks.

By claiming that their products are recyclable packaging companies and their corporate customers are promoting a lie.  These companies know that the vast majority of the plastic material that they are using is not recyclable, but that virtually all of it ends in dump sites, incinerators or casually tossed out in our parks or on our beaches.  The cost of disposing of this "recyclable" material is left to communities.  

“This report shows that one of the best things to do to save recycling is to stop claiming that everything is recyclable,” said John Hocevar, director of Greenpeace’s Oceans Campaign. “We have to talk to companies about not producing so much throw-away plastic that ends up in the ocean or in incinerators.”

The plastic packaging industry needs to make major changes, but so do consumers. We need to understand that virtually all plastic packaging material is not recyclable and that all but a tiny fraction ends up in as garbage - waste that is filling out landfills or generating air pollution as it is incinerated.