This is the final installment of a 3-part series about the failure of plastics recycling.
Read Part 1, about a groundbreaking report showing plastics recycling doesn’t work, here.
Read Part 2, about the deception of “advanced recycling,” here.
Under the reign of plastics, it’s nearly impossible to eliminate all forms of petrochemicals from the typical middle-class American lifestyle. From clamshells that house berries to squeeze bottles of dish soap to thick plastic containers that hold kids’ toys, plastic polymers permeate our lives and our bodies. How do we transition our homes—and the world—away from plastics?
“The solutions are reduce, reuse, refill, repair, and regenerate,” says Cynthia Palmer, senior petrochemical analyst for Moms Clean Air Force. She leaves out plastics recycling entirely, which she says should be a last resort in circumstances where there are no other options. But the prevention of continued plastic pollution cannot rely on individuals. It requires new policies and systemic changes.
“We try to put all the responsibility on ourselves, which is what the industry has been pushing for years—personal responsibility,” says Palmer. “But it’s a systemwide problem that needs a systemwide solution. The plastics industry is on track to triple plastics production by 2050, and nearly half of plastics are single use. This is a product looking for a market—it’s not as if the world needs all this extra plastic.”
There are demand-side solutions as well. Take the rise in banning single-use plastic bags distributed at chain stores and groceries. A recent report from Environment America, a national network of state environmental groups, shows that states and cities with effective bag bans eliminate an average of about 300 plastic bags per person per year. Bans in New Jersey, Vermont, Philadelphia, Portland, Oregon, and Santa Barbara, California, have cut annual plastic bag consumption by six billion bags, or enough to circle the earth 42 times, according to the report.
To date in the U.S., there are more than 500 citywide ordinances, as well as 12 state laws, banning the use of plastic bags. But more states—18 as of 2021, including Tennessee, Michigan, Florida, and Arizona—have passed plastic pollution preemption laws, which ban banning plastic bags. According to some estimates, this means 42% of U.S. residents live in jurisdictions where they’re barred from passing local restrictions on plastics.
“These small markets—plastic shopping bags and water bottles—are symbolic of a much larger conversation that the petrochemical companies and the plastics lobby don’t want us to be having,” says Palmer, noting the power of the plastics lobby, led by the American Chemistry Council, in state preemption laws. “If you start with a bag ban, where could that lead? It could show people you can survive without all these single-use, disposable plastic products.”
Where policy and systemic changes fail to meet consumer demand, green chemistry initiatives are also looking at plastic replacements, using plant-based alternatives like beets and mushrooms to replace plastic polymers. But Palmer adds that many compostable materials contain PFAS and other plastics chemicals, and often the compostable products end up in landfills where they emit harmful greenhouse gases. Increasing the use of these products also requires scaling up composting systems.
Some products can be reformulated by removing plastic add-ins. Bill envelopes don’t require plastic windows. Glass bottles don’t require plastic spouts. Plastic stir sticks can be replaced with wood, as can toothbrush handles and door handles. More products need to be de-plasticized.
At the institutional level, there are many ways to reduce plastic waste on a large scale. Water bottle filling stations at schools, airports, and train stations, for example, could dramatically reduce the need for single-use plastic bottles. Schools, churches, restaurants, Meals on Wheels, and other programs could re-install dishwashers and transition away from single-use products. The U.S. could implement nationwide bottle bills and incentives to bring your own bags, bottles, and other containers.
The most important solution by far is to end the escalation of plastics production. But this will involve facing off with the fossil fuel companies. As Palmer explains, “Plastics are a lifeline for transnational oil and gas companies determined not to let climate change and the promise of renewable energy cut into their profits.”
To end petrochemical expansion, the U.S. government could stop issuing permits for new and expanded petrochemical facilities, discontinue subsidizing the petrochemical buildout, and put a cap on plastic production to reduce the amount of plastic and related petrochemicals on the market.
According to Palmer, “We need a robust international treaty coupled with strong national actions to rein in plastics production.”
In other words, the ultimate solution is global.
Learn more about Moms’ work on “advanced recycling.”
TELL CONGRESS: PROTECT OUR FAMILIES FROM PLASTIC INCINERATION POLLUTION