Plastic Recycling: sustainable myth or deception?
Recently I paid a visit to the Municipality's waste collection. A huge pile of separated PMD arrives daily. To my surprise, I learned that about half of this waste goes directly into the incinerator behind me. Reason: every day this mountain of waste is inspected by an inspector and only approved if the mountain consists almost exclusively of disposable packaging and that it is not surrounded by opaque bags whose contents cannot be seen. So in the end, about half then goes on to be recycled, but how does that work in practice?
On National Sustainability Day in the Netherlands, we reflect on the impact of our daily choices on the planet. One of these choices involves plastic recycling, often presented as a sustainable solution to environmental pollution. But is plastic recycling really the eco-friendly salvation it promises to be? This blog dives deeper into the complexities of plastic recycling, using various studies and opinions to illustrate that recycling is more of a make-believe solution than an actual contribution to a more sustainable world.
The promises versus the reality
Large multinationals such as McDonald's, Procter & Gamble, Unilever and Coca-Cola claim that by 2025 or 2030 their products will consist entirely of renewable or recycled materials. However, these ambitious goals hide an uncomfortable truth: plastic production is expected to increase by 40% over the next decade. The Plastic Soup Foundation reveals that the increase in plastic production is mainly driven by cheap raw materials such as shale gas, and that the promises of recycling are just a facade enabling further production growth.
Not recycling but downcycling
In the Netherlands, waste plastic is collected mixed, resulting in downcycling, where the quality of the recycled plastic is significantly lower than the original material. This recycled plastic often cannot be used for the same purposes, particularly for food packaging. The Fair Resource Foundation emphasizes that most recycled plastics end up as lower-quality materials, such as traffic bollards, and that truly high-quality recycling is rare.
Challenges in the recycling industry
The Dutch Waste Management Association (VA) warns that Dutch recyclers can hardly dispose of their recycled plastics. Competition with cheaper materials from abroad means that recycling activities often do not pay off. Without significant regulatory changes, experts fear that the recycling industry in the Netherlands is not viable.
The Zero Waste movement
200 million kilograms of plastic waste exported outside the EU.
Recycling or destroying plastic waste is relatively expensive. Much plastic can be imported, is more expensive, and - because it has not yet been recycled - of higher quality. As a result, many recycling plants in the Netherlands are struggling to keep running, and to keep up with growing consumption. So it often turns out to be cheaper to export plastic waste. Low quality waste that is difficult to recycle is rejected by Dutch companies, and goes by boat to countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam and Turkey. Here, however, it is also not reused. After all, the waste is the remaining lower quality, and factories are less well equipped. The waste ends up in large landfills where it often blows or washes away, ending up in rivers and the ocean.
Elisah Pals of Zero Waste Netherlands argues that the focus should be on waste prevention rather than recycling. Zero Waste is about minimizing waste by rejecting, reducing and reusing materials. This emphasizes the importance of a paradigm shift from recycling to reducing the use of plastics.
European disposable packaging regulations
Recent steps by the European Union, such as the new Packaging Regulation, show progress in addressing plastic waste. These regulations introduce binding targets to reduce the use of disposable plastic and encourage recycling. This is a positive development, but it is moving very slowly and is only a beginning.
Conclusion
While National Sustainability Day reminds us of our responsibilities, we must continue to look critically at the solutions that are presented to us. Plastic recycling is not the miracle solution it often appears to be. True sustainability requires fundamental changes in how we produce and consume. Let's use this day to think not only about recycling, but also about how we can reduce the production of new plastic and ultimately create a truly sustainable future. This blog was created in collaboration with Retulp, advocate for reducing plastic use and promoting sustainable alternatives.
