What's the deal with plastic? Why are we just now finding out how bad it is? According to Marin Sanitary, though there is still a market for some types of plastic, such as the plastic water and soda bottles are made of, but there is a faltering market for most other types of plastics. This means, no one wants to buy the plastic we're recycling! So, much of what we used to think is recyclable, is not getting recycled, because no one wants to buy it! So, where is that plastic going? You guessed it -- the landfill.
For example, only 7% of the bottles produced by Coca-Cola contain any recycled plastic content. That means an alarming 93% of the plastic bottles from this brand are BRAND NEW plastic, and they one of the major producers of plastic in the world! More frequently, this plastic (like the plastic used for water bottles) is “down-cycled” into synthetic fibers or textiles that go in our clothes and carpets. These down-cycled items are generally not recyclable.
So, next time you think reduce, reuse, recycle, notice how these words are actually listed in the order of importance! Thanks for reading!