Stop Recycling Plastic
As the Earth faces increasing pressure from high rates of resource extraction, post-consumption pollution is invading every corner of our living systems. Using resources more wisely is crucial. And before we ask ourselves how to recycle the plastic bag that holds our groceries, it's important to know whether it should and can be recycled at all. Mover Plastic Free Sportswear is against plastic recycling for one reason. Under the guise of providing a solution, recycling hides the reality of booming production. Plastic recycling exacerbates pollution and reinforces paralysis by preventing safe alternatives at scale from emerging.
Plastic Recycling is a Lie
Contrary to popular belief, the processes of recycling plastics are not financially and operationally viable. PET is an exception, however, each new cycle decreases the quality of the materials until they eventually cannot be recovered anymore and end up in waste where they’ll be incinerated or will continue to pollute. All in all, and despite significant marketing efforts to persuade of the opposite, plastic is not circular. Less than 10% of global plastic is recycled efficiently[1].
The Figleaf Of Overproduction
The petrochemical industry uses recycling as a marketing argument, a smokescreen that allows it to continue mass-producing virgin plastic. As long as recycling is presented as a solution, global plastic production will continue to rise. Plastic use is expected to rise from 460 million tons in 2019 to 1.2 billion by 2060[2]. Recycling doesn't slow down the disaster, it accelerates it.
Forever chemicals hide within microplastics
Plastic waste doesn’t decompose and creates tremendous land and marine pollution. And every time plastic is handled, it releases microplastics and nano-plastics, which are even more worrying:
-
These micro/nanoscopic particles penetrate human cells, reaching the brain and vital organs and disrupting the endocrine system. They threaten the health of all forms of life, attack bodily functions, and lead to serious long-term illness.
-
Each time they are fragmented, they release toxic chemicals (PFAs, phthalates, bisphenols, etc.) which are ‘forever chemicals’, indestructible and bioaccumulable. These substances can combine randomly to produce effects that are still unknown to scientists.
-
Because of their size, they are impossible to recover: once in the air, water, or soil, they will pollute for hundreds of years.
Recycled plastic is toxic too
For recycled plastic to be of sufficient quality, chemicals must be added to it: colourings, stabilisers, flame retardants, and more. The result: recycled plastic is just as, if not more, toxic than virgin plastic.
Instead of reducing the impact of plastic, recycling worsens it by increasing the presence of dangerous substances that will inevitably end up in our environment and our bodies. All it does is redistribute the poison, in an even more volatile form, on a bigger scale, leading to even more serious consequences.
A criminal practice
The plastics industry has not only created an illusion, but also committed a crime by manipulating the consumer. By deliberately concealing the consequences of plastic production, it has contributed to massive pollution and global health risks.
A striking example is ExxonMobil, which was recently sued by California for concealing the dangers of plastic and its related chemicals. Rather than warn the public, it continued to produce billions of tonnes of plastic, despite evidence of its devastating effects on health and the environment. Or W.L Gore & Associates, recently sued in a class action in the United States for deliberately continuing to use PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances) in its Gore-Tex® products for technical clothing, footwear, and gloves.
The plastics industry has lied, covered up, and exposed generations to progressive poisoning in the name of its growth. It's time to rethink our relationship with plastic and turn to natural, non-toxic solutions.
Bio-plastics don’t target the real problem
Faced with the plastic crisis, some people claim to have found a miracle solution: bio-plastics and bio-PLA. But they don't tackle the basic problem. A bio-plastic is still a plastic.
-
Even if it is based on organic resources rather than petroleum, just as many chemicals need to be added to modulate its properties.
-
It also releases microplastics and toxins.
-
It is just as ‘impossible’ to recycle as conventional plastic.
-
It is not compostable in natural conditions and requires very specific settings like a complete absence of oxygen, that make it impossible to compost at home or in the ocean.
Any plastic kills: before recycling it, finding a natural alternative is our best bet
Of course, plastic waste polluting the environment should be left as is. We urgently need to put in place solutions to prevent it from coming back to pollute in another form. And let's be clear, recycling plastic is not a viable solution. Instead of dealing with the root of the problem, it prolongs the presence of a toxic agent in our environment, aggravating the risks to health and the environment. The only real alternative is to reimagine materials so that they are inherently regenerative, biodegradable, and non-toxic. The most straightforward way to achieve this target is by using natural materials with minimal chemical altering. Recycling plastic is a false solution. The real challenge, the one that will limit the risks to global health, lies in reducing the amount of plastic in our daily consumption. Plastic is not indispensable. In one day, we can easily halve our dependence on plastic.
