Recycling: One of the Greatest Environmental Myths of All Time

Today, I want to talk about one of the greatest environmental myths ever: recycling.

When I say myth, I should probably say scam. We’ve been told that if we just recycle, we can solve the plastic crisis. But is that really true, or just a greenwashed lie designed to shift blame away from those responsible? Spoiler: it’s the latter.

If you’ve been listening to this podcast for a while, you’ll know how much I despise the way recycling has been used to deceive the public - but you might not know all the details.

So in this episode, we’re getting into the history and facts behind recycling.

In this episode, I share:

• The long and complicated history of recycling
• How greenwashing and corporate blame-shifting have influenced recycling
• The introduction of the misleading arrow recycling symbol
• How governments and corporations have used recycling as a smokescreen
• What actually happens to your recycling
• Why downcycling is the biggest problem with plastic recycling
• Why incineration and waste-to-energy schemes are a bad idea
• Real solutions to tackle the recycling issue
• Why manufacturers should be responsible for product disposal and recycling
• The truth behind biodegradable and compostable plastics

Key Quotes

“Corporations are gearing up to produce 30% more plastic by 2030.”

“In the USA less than 5% of plastic waste is recycled.”

“At the end of the day the recycling system is fundamentally broken.”

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