Most recyclable plastics are categorized and labeled according to the kind of plastic they contain. The labels run from 1 to 7 and can typically be found within the chasing-arrow recycling triangle on the bottom of a given piece of recyclable plastic. The Greenpeace report, conducted from October 2019 to January 2020, claims that only plastics labeled #1 or #2 can be legitimately labeled “recyclable” in the United States today.

Let’s break down these two categories. Plastics labeled #1 contain Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET). Common products include water bottles, soda bottles, and peanut butter jars. Plastics labeled #2 contain High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE). Common products include milk jugs, five-gallon buckets, shampoo bottles, and laundry detergent containers. These plastics are recycled into new plastic bottles or containers or are converted into textiles or insulation. 

The United States used to ship plastics labeled #3 through #7 to China to be processed and recycled. In March 2018, the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection raised its standards for the quality of recycled materials that China would purchase, reducing permissible contamination levels from 3% to 0.5%. Since then recycling plants in the United States have struggled to process these plastics on their own.

Plastics labeled #3 through #7 are “hard plastics” and are considered to have “negligible-to-negative value.” This means that they have a low reprocessing capacity and are, therefore, unlikely to be recycled into new products. Recycling plants pay to have these plastics picked up and processed elsewhere, which usually means incineration or a trip to the landfill.

Greenpeace has asked companies that produce products with plastic labels #3 through #7 to remove recyclable language from their labels. It has also promised to file a Federal Trade Commission complaint against them for mislabeling if these companies don’t comply. Some of these companies include Target, Walmart, Procter & Gamble, and SC Johnson.

Common products that carry labels #3 through #7 break down as follows:

Plastic #3: vinyl; tubing and pipe; siding; auto product bottles

Plastic #4: laundry baskets; bread bags; squeeze bottles; plastic film

Plastic #5: yogurt containers; amber-colored pill bottles; coffee cup lids; straws; kitty litter buckets; plastic cutlery

Plastic #6: styrofoam cups; solo cups; egg cartons; to-go containers; plastic cutlery

Plastic #7: toys; sippy cups; CDs and DVDs; lenses

For more information on how to decode recycling symbols, click here.

What can you do?

Here are ten action items you can take:

1. Check purchases closely: Try to buy only plastics with #1 or #2 labels.
2. Take stock of how much plastic in your house is or is not likely to be recycled after you sort it into the recycling bin.
3. Bring your own grocery bag, or choose paper bags over plastic.
4. Choose meat products wrapped in paper by your grocery store butcher over meat products packaged in plastic.
5. Clean your refrigerator storage bins so you can avoid plastic produce bags at the grocery store and store produce neatly at home.
6. Choose items in aluminum or glass packaging over plastic packaging: Both aluminum and glass are commonly recycled by waste programs throughout the country.
7. Pass on plastic silverware, straws, trays, and coffee cup lids.
8. Opt for glass tupperware over plastic baggies.
9. Educate residents about which plastics are actually recyclable in the United States.
10. Encourage residents to download the Remyndr app to receive notifications and updates regarding the recycling pickup schedule in their neighborhoods.

For more information on how China’s recycling decision has impacted recycling in Massachusetts, read our article from March 2019.

Sources:

“Circular Claims Fall Flat: Comprehensive U.S. Survey of Plastics Recyclability,” Greenpeace, Inc., 2020.

Dimugno, Laura, “Recycling symbols decoded,” Mother Nature Network, March 4, 2013.

Vartan, Starre, “Most plastics in our recycling bins aren’t getting recycled, new report finds,” Mother Nature Network, February 24, 2020.

In the wake of China’s 2017 ban on the import of mixed paper and mixed plastic, Waste Management and other large waste haulers looked to poor countries as an export alternative. Over the last two years it became clear that the receiving countries could not process the volume of trash exported by the United States. Waste mismanagement led to environmental and social harm. 

Waste Management now sells 77% of its recyclable materials to domestic markets. In an August press release, WM said, “The company is working to help establish responsible domestic markets for recycling and beneficial use of these materials.” The company has further stated that “where there is no market, we are disposing of this material responsibly.”

This seems to be the start of a growing global trend, as Australia’s Prime Minister has said the country should be responsible for its own waste and as the Dutch State Secretary has called for plastic waste exports to stop. 

What do you think about the ban of plastic waste exports? Let us know in the comments!

Sources:

“The Largest Trash Collectors in the U.S. Have Stopped Shipping Waste to Poor Countries,” Good News Network, Oct. 21, 2019.

“U.S. Waste & Recycling Companies Positions on Plastic Waste Exports,” The Last Beach Cleanup, accessed Oct. 22, 2019.

Wheeler, Perry, “Waste Management, Casella announce halt to plastic waste exports to countries with poor waste management,” Green Peace, Oct. 16, 2019.

Doran, Matthew and Macmillan, Jade, “Ban on recyclable waste exports looms as political leaders commit to a phase out,” Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Aug. 9, 2019.

“Plastic waste export should be stopped,” Weekly News Review, June 17, 2019.

The ban is ambitious. One amendment orders cigarette companies to reduce the plastic in cigarette filters by 50% by 2025 and by 80% by 2030. Another calls for 90% of all plastic drinks bottles to be recycled by 2025. Banned items were chosen for their ocean-polluting ubiquity and for their readily available alternatives. Items without alternatives will still be reduced by 25% in each country by 2025. The UK will also need to incorporate the new proposal into national law before the Brexit transition is complete. (BBC News)

The European Commission, which proposed the ban in response to a surge in public support, voted in favor 571-53. This follows a global trend to reduce the use of single-use plastics. In July, Remyndr wrote about The Walt Disney Company’s decision to eliminate single-use plastic straws and stirrers at all of its locations across the globe. That followed Seattle’s decision to ban drinking straws and Starbuck’s decision to remove single-use plastic straws by 2020.

We’ve reached a tipping point when it comes to our consumption and disposal of plastics. Straws may sound like small potatoes compared to hurricanes and wildfires, but even small tweaks have a cumulative impact on planet’s climate change trajectory. Think of a small change you’ve made in your life and the impact it’s had since the time you made the decision.

It’s too soon to realize the effect of the growing global consensus to eliminate single-use plastics, but we imagine that it can only be restorative. Fewer sea turtles with plastic straws caught in their noses. Fewer whales with 80 plastic bags in their guts. In a word, more fish than plastic in the ocean.

Source:

“Single-use plastics ban approved by European Parliament,” BBC News, 2018. www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-45965605

This month The Ocean Cleanup launched a 2,000-foot boom designed to gather plastic debris and clean up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

According to The New York Times, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch floats between California and Hawaii and is comprised of 1.8 trillion pieces of trash, with at least 87,000 tons of plastic. Gross. The Ocean Cleanup will endeavor to clean up half of the garbage patch in five years.

To learn about how the boom technology works, read our article about plastic waste and The Ocean Cleanup here.

According to Forbes, the patch measures 617,763.45 square miles in size. For reference, Alaska is 663,267.26 square miles in size. That’s our biggest state. That’s big enough to be seen clearly by satellites from space.

The boom has been towed to a site for a two-week test period, after which it will be towed to the garbage patch 1,400 off the mainland. Boyan Slat, 24, founder of The Ocean Cleanup, said that the boom will arrive by mid-October.

While cost efficiency, performance, and impact on marine life remain open questions, the fact that such an ambitious waste management endeavor has been undertaken deserves to be celebrated. In a world that’s only begun to see the devastating effects of climate change, the least we can do is take out the trash.

Source:

Caron C (2018) Giant Trap Is Deployed to Catch Trash Littering the Pacific Ocean. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/09/science/ocean-cleanup-great-pacific-garbage-patch.html

Nace T (2018) The World’s Largest Ocean Cleanup Has Officially Begun. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/trevornace/2018/09/10/the-worlds-largest-ocean-cleanup-has-officially-begun/

Dr. Sarah-Jeanne Royer published a new study, which finds that “the most commonly used plastics produce two greenhouse gases, methane and ethylene, when exposed to ambient solar radiation.” In other words, as plastic waste decomposes, exposure to the sun causes the plastic to emit gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect.

In July 2017, we wrote about a a study on the production, the use, and the fate of all plastics. Since 1950, 8.3 billion metric tons of “virgin plastic” has been produced, 75.9% of which has become plastic waste. Seventy-nine percent of this plastic waste has been relegated to landfills or the natural environment.

According to BBC News, “Dr. Royer found that the most widely-used plastic, the stuff used to make shopping bags, is the one that produces the greatest amount of these warming gases.”

Initially, Dr. Royer intended to measure the methane gas emission of biological samples from the ocean. In the course of her study, she discovered that the plastic bottles that held the samples produced greater methane emissions than the samples themselves.

The parameters of Dr. Royer’s study are as follows:

“After selecting the plastic category emitting the greatest amount of hydrocarbon gases, we tested the effect of a change in density and morphology (i.e., pellets, flakes, powder) on hydrocarbon gas emissions. Environmental factors, including solar radiation, UVB (ultraviolet B; 280–320 nm) and solar radiation exposure history were varied as part of this study. These tests were executed in parallel with two long-term experiments assessing the effect of aging for 212 days using virgin pellets and for 152 days using marine plastic from the ocean. Finally, to determine the impact of medium on plastic degradation and gas emissions, we tested the production of gases from plastic incubated in either air or in water.”

Dr. Royer’s study finds that the methane gas emitted by virgin pellets after 212 days is 176 times stronger than the methane emitted at the start of the experiment. This emission rate doubles that of emissions from the ocean over the same length of time.

As BBC News reports, the primary focus on the relationship between plastics and climate change has been on the fossil fuels used to produce plastics. Dr. Royer’s study is the first to quantify the emission of warming gases other than CO2 from plastic waste.

While the level of emissions is relatively small at present, it is expected to increase as plastic waste from the past 70 years continues to break down and as new plastics are produced.

Luckily, it’s not all bad news. Last week The New York Times reported that scientists are developing plastics that self-destruct on command. How does it work?

To create plastic, molecules are formed into long chains, called polymers. Historically, stable polymers have been used because they do not break down easily. Now scientists want to create plastic with unstable polymers. When these polymers encounter a trigger, such as light or acid, their long molecular chains will “unzip” and return to their original, small molecular state.

Marc Hillmyer, head of the Center for Sustainable Polymers at the University of Minnesota, notes that the challenge is to create plastic polymers that are stable when in use and that are unstable when they are no longer needed.

To learn more about plastic waste or to get involved, visit plasticpollutioncoalition.org.

Sources:

McGrath M (2018) Plastic pollution: How one woman found a new source of warming gases hidden in waste.
BBC News: Science & Environment. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-45043989

Roland G, Jambeck J, Lavender Law K (2017) Production, use, and fate of all plastics ever made. Science Advances.
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1700782. http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/7/e1700782.full

Royer S-J, Ferrón S, Wilson ST, Karl DM (2018) Production of methane and ethylene from plastic in the environment.
PLoS ONE 13(8): e0200574. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0200574

Lim X (2018) Designing the Death of Plastic. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/06/science/plastics-polymers-pollution.html

Break out the good champagne!

According to Bloomberg, Disney is the latest company to join a growing list of corporations that have decided to stop the use of single-use plastic straws. Earlier this month, The Washington Post reported that Seattle became “the first major city in the United States to ban drinking straws,” and Starbucks announced that it would remove single-use plastic straws from its 28,000 stores by 2020. To round out this plastic-free parade, in June BBC News reported that McDonald’s will replace plastic straws with paper ones in all of its UK and Ireland locations, starting in September.

For those of you on the front lines of the single-use plastic straw movement, we hope that these recent moves in corporate America will encourage you to keep fighting the good fight. These huge shifts signify not only that your efforts are having an effect, but that the removal of single-use plastic straws is becoming the new norm in our society. At a time when it feels like so much in the world is going wrong, it is refreshing to learn that some things are going right.

To learn more about plastic pollution and an inspiring global effort to reduce plastic waste, read our blog post from last July, Plastic Waste & The Ocean Cleanup.

Sources:

Golum, Rob, “Disney Joins Cast of Companies Abandoning Plastic Straws,” Bloomberg, 2018.
Wootson, Jr., Cleve R., “Seattle becomes first major U.S. city to ban straws,” The Washington Post, 2018.
“Disney Expands Environmental Commitment by Reducing Plastic Waste,” The Walt Disney Company, 2018.
“McDonald’s to ditch plastic straws,” BBC News, 2018.
“Starbucks to Eliminate Plastic Straws Globally by 2020,” Starbucks, 2018.

On July 19th, Science Advances published a study entitled “Plastics: Production, use, and fate of all plastics ever made.” Authored by Roland Geyer, Jenna R. Jambeck and Kara Lavender Law, the study combines global data on the life cycles of polymer resins, synthetic fibers, and additives into a comprehensive material flow model to provide “the first global analysis of all mass-produced plastics ever manufactured,” (Geyer, Jambeck, Law).

Plastics 101

Large-scale plastic production and use began in the mid-20th century. Today, plastics’ largest market is the packaging industry. While none of the commonly used plastics are biodegradable, the only way to permanently eliminate plastic waste is by destructive thermal treatment, such as combustion or pyrolysis. Unfortunately, plastic waste is not confined to landfills and recycling centers. Plastic debris has been found in all major ocean basins. In 2010 alone, an estimated 4-12 million metric tons of plastic waste generated on land entered the marine environment. According to Geyer, Jambeck, and Law’s research, plastic waste is so prevalent in the natural environment that it’s been suggested as a geological indicator of the Anthropocene era (Geyer, Jambeck, Law).

Hard Numbers

Let’s unwrap the numbers. Since 1950, 8.3 billion metric tons of “virgin plastics” have been produced. As of 2015, 6.3 billion metric tons of that total have become plastic waste. That’s 75.9% of all plastic ever produced. Now, of that 6.3 billion metric tons of plastic waste, 567 million metric tons (9%) have been recycled, 756 million metric tons (12%) have been incinerated, and 4.98 billion metric tons (79% of plastic waste; 60% of plastic total) have been relegated to landfills or the natural environment (Geyer, Jambeck, Law).

Here’s where we and perhaps some of you begin to hyperventilate. That’s okay—just don’t do it into a plastic bag. Those are hard numbers. And we at Remyndr are the last ones who want to admit that recycling won’t save the world.

Fear not! There’s hope yet!

The Ocean Cleanup

Engineers, entrepreneurs, and scientists are working to develop technologies that reduce plastic waste. One of our favorite foundations working toward this end is The Ocean Cleanup. Founded in 2013 by 18-year-old Boyan Slat, The Ocean Cleanup has developed a technology system  that leverages natural ocean currents to remove plastic waste from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the largest of five floating garbage patches around the world. The Ocean Cleanup’s passive technology is estimated to clean up 50% of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch within five years (The Ocean Cleanup).

How the Technology Works

The Ocean Cleanup’s technology system has four parts:

First, a recyclable floater made of high density polythylene floats on the ocean surface. The floater extends from a half mile to a mile in length and is deployed in strategic locations determined by The Ocean Cleanup’s algorithms.

Second, the floater attaches to a solid, fiber-reinforced thermoplastic polyurethane screen that catches sub-surface waste and allow fish to pass underneath with the current. Scale model testing shows that the screen can catch anything from one-centimeter plastic particles to discarded items several meters in size.

Third, the screen is anchored by a large sea anchor suspended at 600 meters below the ocean surface. Since water moves more slowly at greater depths, the anchor will make the system move more slowly than plastic waste, thereby capturing the debris.

Fourth, a support vessel empties the cleanup systems once they become full. With a system of belts and pumps, a ship will remove the plastic waste and ship it back to land to be processed, recycled, and resold (The Ocean Cleanup).

Read more about how The Ocean Cleanup’s technology works.

The Ocean Cleanup funded their pilot project, which will be deployed later this year. Their next step will be to develop refined iterations of their technology designs based on a series of tests. By mid-2018, The Ocean Cleanup will roll out its first operational cleanup system (The Ocean Cleanup).

What You Can Do

Be Mindful of Plastic

The easiest thing you can do to help is to become mindful of your plastic consumption. If you have a bag with you at the store, maybe tell the clerk that you don’t need another bag. If you like drinking cold water at home, maybe use a Britta filter instead of using plastic water bottles. If you love peppermint mocha frappuccinos all year round, who can blame you? But be mindful of recycling the cups in the appropriate bin. Sometimes it can feel like a hassle to separate your recycling by materials, but that has a deciding impact on whether your recycling ends up as waste or actually gets recycled. If you want a reminder of which items go where and when they get collected in your neighborhood, download the Remyndr app.

Get Involved in Your Communities

Local community groups are a great way to connect and get involved. Montclair, Cedar Grove, Nutley, Verona, Avon, Marshfield, and North Attleboro all have active Facebook Groups. Members discuss local ongoings in their neighborhoods, share advice on how to conserve energy and become more green, and sell or swap furniture, appliances, and hand-me-down toys. It’s always better to give away or sell an item before you throw it in the trash. In addition to the Remyndr Facebook Page, check out some of our favorite neighborhood Facebook Groups: 

Waste Not Montclair (NJ)

Share Montclair

North Attleboro Recommends

Nutley Moms

Buy Sell Swap Cedar Grove, NJ

Everything Avon Mass Group

Marshfield MA Forum

Sustainable Verona

Verona / Caldwell NJ Buy Sell & Trade

Donate to The Ocean Cleanup

If you’re looking for ways to get involved with clean energy, The Ocean Cleanup now allows companies and individuals to fund their own ocean cleanup systems. With a tax-deductible donation, you can literally be part of the largest ocean cleanup in history. To learn more or make a donation, visit The Ocean Cleanup.

That’s a snapshot of what’s happening in the world of plastic waste and clean energy solutions. To stay up to date with these issues and your local neighborhood recycling schedules, visit the Remyndr Facebook Page and download the Remyndr app.