Is Recycling the Solution to the Plastic Problem?
- Maggie Jensen
- Jan 7, 2022
- 2 min read
Updated: Aug 18, 2022
In 1972, the first plastic waste recycling mill was introduced in Conshohocken,
Pennsylvania. Now hundreds of facilities are spread across the United States. Yet, with the extreme rise in plastic consumption it is hard for these facilities to keep pace. Each year the average American creates 1,700 pounds of municipal solid waste, and therefore 239 million tons collectively. 69 million of these 239 million tons can then be recycled. Plastic comprises up to 5%, or 3.45 million tons, of the 69 million. While this is a small fraction of our immense waste, it still is a large number itself. Recycling facilities controlling MSW (municipal solid waste) sort the discarded products in hopes of reducing their environmental impact.
The plastic considered to be “recyclable” comes in a wide range of colors, sizes, densities and transparencies. Some kinds of plastic are more desirable than others for companies hoping to reuse. For example, HPDE (high-density polyethylene) is often considered the most valuable kind because it is non-pigmented and can be changed into any color down the line. While there is a great deal of plastic being sent to be recycled, these high valued plastics only represent a small fraction of the whole collection. In fact, it is difficult to locate and sort enough plastic deemed acceptable to keep machines going and supply needed plastic.
Keeping this in mind, it is important to consider that the plastic you place in the recycling bin often does not remade into another product. Recycling cannot be the sole solution to overconsumption of goods. Instead we must acknowledge the flaw to recycling and modify our purchases accordingly. This can be simple yet impactful, like switching out a plastic grocery bag for a reusable cloth one.
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