Plastic industry knew recycling was a farce for decades yet deceived the public, report reveals

Recycling has been promoted as a solution to plastic waste management for more than 50 years.

But big oil companies and the plastics industry have known for decades that it’s not a technically or economically viable solution, a new report reveals.

Combining existing research and recently revealed internal documents, the report by the Center for Climate Integrity Research (CCI) could form the foundation for legal action, its authors say.

“When corporations and trade groups know that their products pose grave risks to society, and then lie to the public and policymakers about it, they must be held accountable,” says CCI President Richard Wiles.

“Accountability means stopping the lying, telling the truth, and paying for the damage they’ve caused.”

The report unveils the fraudulent marketing and public education campaigns used to promote plastic as recyclable, despite knowing that it is not a workable solution.

These strategies allowed the single-use plastics industry to expand, while avoiding regulation to effectively address waste and pollution, the report says.

“Recycling cannot be considered a permanent solid waste solution [to plastics], as it merely prolongs the time until an item is disposed of,” reads a 1986 report by industry trade group the Vinyl Institute (VI).

The group’s founding director, Roy Gottesman, highlighted the issue again in 1989 at a conference, warning, “Recycling cannot go on indefinitely, and does not solve the solid waste problem.”

With thousands of different types used in everyday products, plastic is expensive to collect and sort. It also degrades after just one or two uses, becoming more toxic each time it is repurposed.

Despite knowing this, oil and plastics companies pushed forward with campaigns