RECYCLING FACTS

The plastics industry has known for decades that most plastic recycling is not economically viable... and promoted it anyway.

Over 90% of all plastic ever produced has never been recycled and is now landfill, burned, or polluting ecosystems.

Oil and chemical companies funded “recycling education” campaigns to shift blame onto consumers, not producers.

So-called “advanced” or “chemical” recycling mostly burns plastic or creates toxic waste - it is not real recycling.

Promoting recycling allowed companies to keep increasing virgin plastic production without regulation.

Many plastics labelled “recyclable” were never intended or able to be recycled at scale.

The numbered recycling label (1-7) was developed by chemical companies to prevent bans on plastic packaging.

‘Carbon footprint’ was invented by Big Oil marketing to shift the blame from corporations to consumers.

Virgin plastic is 20–100% cheaper to make than recycled plastic, giving companies a financial incentive not to recycle.

Accounting tricks like “mass-balance” allow companies to claim recycled content while producing new plastic.

High-profile “Recycling is Real” campaigns showcase rare facilities while ignoring that most plastic cannot be recycled.

If the global plastics industry were a country, it would rank among the world’s top five climate polluters.