The Challenge of Recycling

Globally, 18 percent of plastic is recycled. Not all plastics are the same, though. Some, like plastic drinking straws, are difficult to recycle. They are often thrown away.

Ease of recycling by type:

easy, manageable, difficult, very difficult

PET
Polyethylene terephthalate

Beverage bottles, food jars, some types of clothing, some shampoo and mouthwash bottles

11%

HDPE
High‑density polyethylene

Detergent and bleach bottles, snack boxes, milk jugs, some toys, buckets, crates, plant pots, garden furniture, trash bins

14%

PVC
Polyvinyl chloride

Credit cards, gutters, pipes and fittings, wire and cable sheathing, synthetic leather

LDPE
Low‑density polyethylene

Packaging film, shopping bags, bubble wrap, flexible bottles

20%

PP
Polypropylene

Bottle tops, drinking straws, lunch boxes, tarps, diapers

19%

PS
Polystyrene

Plastic‑foam cups, egg boxes, meat trays, packing peanuts, coat hangers, yogurt containers

Other

Nylon fabrics, baby bottles, compact discs, medical storage containers, car parts

24%

07/07/2024 06:22:21

Working Solutions

The most important thing about the plastic problem is that people are starting to pay attention and take action. The country of Kenya joined a growing list of nations that have banned plastic bags. Those that break the rule get fined or sent to jail! France said it would ban plastic plates and cups by 2020. Bans on plastic microbeads in cosmetics take effect this year in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and four other countries. The industry is phasing them out.

Corporations are responding, too. Coca‑Cola also produces bottled water. It’s announced a new goal. It hopes to “collect and recycle the equivalent of ” 100 percent of its packaging by 2030. Other corporations, such as PepsiCo, Amcor, and Unilever have pledged to convert to 100 percent reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging by 2025.

These bales of plastic were collected by Italian fishermen. They are on their way to be recycled.

System 001, created by Boyan Slat, is a floating cleanup system designed to collect ocean plastic.

Individuals are making a difference, too. Ellen MacArthur, a British yachtswoman, has created a special company. It’s based on the idea of a “circular economy.” All materials, including plastics, are designed to be reused or recycled, not dumped.

Boyan Slat, 24, from the Netherlands, is charging ahead with his vow to clean up the largest garbage patch in the North Pacific. His organization has raised more than $30 million. They are working to build an ocean‑sweeping system to collect trash.