Hilary Brueck wrote an article for Business Insider titled An MIT researcher says we should trash all our recyclable plastic, and he’s probably right.
« Recycling plastic uses up a lot of resources, and after all the hauling around, sorting, and processing of bottles and containers, it often ends up getting thrown away or burned. »
« MIT business researcher Andrew McAfee says we’d be better off putting our plastic waste into well-managed landfills. »
« In his book [More From Less] McAfee calls metal recycling “great, since it gives us cheaper metal products and reduces total greenhouse-gas emissions.” He’s also on board with paper recycling. But he vehemently believes Americans should trash plastic waste by burying it underground in well-managed “modern” landfills. »
« the US National Waste and Recycling Program says “recycling contamination is a serious problem,” cautioning consumers “when in doubt, throw it out.” »
«… consulting firm McKinsey estimates just 16% of plastics are “reprocessed” and turned into new plastic goods… In the European Union, only 6% of plastic demand is for recycled plastics. »
« Efforts to get people using more sustainable goods, like reusable bags and foldable straws, may not pack much environmental punch, though. One UK study suggested that a cotton bag would have to be reused 131 times to be worth it for the planet, over plastic. »
Articles of Interest 