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The bizarre reality of plastic recycling

Once when I was born all the garbage fit into a small metal garbage can, now we need 4 large wheelie bins for it. Today is Oct. 10, 2024, and so National Sustainability Day shines a light on a topic often presented as the solution to environmental problems: plastic recycling. Despite the fine promises of big companies and the support of ambitious government initiatives, the practice of plastic recycling turns out to be more complex and far less effective than often presented. This article dives into the current recycling landscape, using research findings and expert opinions to reveal the real impact of recycling on our planet.

55 years of waste development
Retulp mission plastic waste no recycling 2025

Misinformation about plastic recycling

I recently visited our municipality's waste disposal facility, where a large pile of separated PMD waste arrives daily. To my surprise, about half of this waste goes directly into the incinerator. In fact, this mountain of waste is inspected daily and approved only when it consists almost entirely of disposable packaging and is not hidden in opaque bags. Large corporations and governments communicate unsubtle recycling of plastics that they are hardly held accountable for. Are we all being deliberately led astray when we talk about plastic recycling?

Recycling is a fake solution from multinationals

In recent years, large multinationals such as McDonald's, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, and Coca-Cola have published ambitious goals, promising that by 2025 or 2030 their product packaging will be made entirely of renewable, compostable, or recycled materials. However, what often goes unmentioned is the projected 40% increase in plastic production over the next decade. These companies plan to benefit significantly from this growth, while the absolute reduction in plastic use is completely absent. The promises of recycling are being overshadowed by unlimited growth in plastic production, casting serious doubt on the impact of these initiatives. Source: Plastic Soup Foundation

The hard truth about downcycling

The current system of plastic recycling in the Netherlands, in which waste plastic is collected mixed, leads not to high-quality recycling but to downcycling. This means that the recycled plastic is of such an inferior quality that it cannot be used for the same applications, especially food packaging. Previously, some of this waste was exported to countries such as China, but after the closing of borders for foreign waste, alternative export markets such as other Asian countries have also become more tightly controlled. The reduced quality and limited applicability of recycled plastics undermine the proposed effectiveness of recycling as a solution to the plastics soup. Producing fewer single-use plastics and increasing recycling is the only solution. Source: Plastic Soup Foundation

Lobbies disposable packaging Industry keeps slowing down

After a long and intense political battle, the European Union recently reached agreement on the new European Packaging Regulation. This regulation aims to curb the ever-increasing amount of packaging waste by setting binding targets for member states to reduce packaging waste by 5% by 2030, 10% by 2035, and 15% by 2040. In addition, targets have been set for the introduction of reusable packaging in certain sectors. Despite this progress, the agreement also shows how negative industry lobbying has been able to significantly dampen the level of ambition.

It is particularly disappointing that the restrictions on unnecessary packaging only cover single-use plastic packaging and do not apply to all single-use packaging materials (as envisaged in the original proposal). As a result, we fear a material shift from plastics to paper and cardboard, which will further increase pressure on our forests. Source: Fair Resource Foundation, Janine Röling - Recycling Network Benelux

Bioplastics don't offer a solution either

Although most plastics are theoretically recyclable, practice shows that actual recycling rates are disappointingly low, according to Stichting Natuur & Milieu. The discussion around bioplastics adds another dimension here. Biobased plastics made from renewable resources such as corn starch or sugar cane also have challenges. They do not break down in natural conditions or within the time span of standard composting facilities in the Netherlands, resulting in microplastics that eventually end up in the environment. It calls for other solutions to reduce the environmental impact of plastic waste. Source: Natuur & Milieu

The downfall of Dutch recycling companies

The Dutch recycling industry is under great pressure, with recyclers struggling to market their recycled plastics. The cost and quality of locally recycled plastics cannot compete with cheaper and sometimes higher quality materials from countries such as the U.S. and Asia. This has led to recycling operations in the Netherlands often being economically unattractive. Boris van der Ham of VA stresses the urgency of new European regulations to support the recycling industry and prevent it from collapsing. Source: NU.nl, Boris van der Ham - Vereniging Afvalbedrijven (VA)

Infographic Retulp Mission Indisposable

Zero Waste

Elisah Pals, initiator of Zero Waste Netherlands, says recycled plastic is often not the sustainable solution many think it is. Zero Waste's philosophy is about minimizing waste by rejecting, reducing, reusing, repairing and redesigning it before recycling is considered at all. This is because much recycled material is used for lower quality products, which do not contribute to a circular economy. This highlights the importance of a fundamental shift from recycling to primarily preventive approaches. Source: Zero Waste Netherlands, Elisah Pals.

Greenwashing and deception

Supermarkets suggest that plastic is actually recycled, which causes consumer deception. Recyclability is greatly exaggerated, which amounts to a form of greenwashing: claiming sustainability without delivering on the promises. In the Netherlands in 2022, only 7% of plastic was recycled within a closed loop(National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, 2022). 39% was downcycled, converting products into less valuable materials.

Conclusion: the future is reusable

As we celebrate National Sustainability Day, we must realize that the promised benefits of plastic recycling often do not match reality. True sustainability requires significantly reducing plastic production, shifting to alternative materials, and embracing reuse and waste prevention. This article calls for a thorough rethinking of how we deal with plastics, from production to consumption, and how we as a society can strive for true sustainability solutions. The Future is Reuse, Reduce, Retulp.