The plastics industry is promoting a type of chemical recycling called pyrolysis, which it claims can replace new shopping bags and candy wrappers with old ones. However, incredible reporting from LisaLSong and ProPublica indicates that this method is not effectively recycling plastic and may not curb the plastic crisis, not now, maybe not ever. Experts argue that the world needs to stop producing so much plastic. Additionally, half of all US states have eased air pollution rules for pyrolysis, which has been found to release carcinogens like benzene and dioxins and emit more greenhouse gases than producing plastic from crude oil.
Half of all US states have eased air pollution rules for this "advanced" plastic recycling process, which has been found to release carcinogens like benzene and dioxins and give off more greenhouse gases than making plastic from crude oil. https://t.co/DSp0ss8nEK
The plastics industry has claimed that "advanced" pyrolysis recycling could be used to replace new shopping bags and candy wrappers with old ones. But in truth, the plastic that comes out of pyrolysis contains very little recycled material. https://t.co/Oy14zW7G3r
Half of all US states have eased air pollution rules for this "advanced" plastic recycling process, which has been found to release carcinogens like benzene and dioxins and give off more greenhouse gases than making plastic from crude oil. https://t.co/fZC3mM01xV
The world is drowning in plastic and experts say we need to stop making so much. The plastics industry is peddling a “solution” that works like magic. But incredible reporting from @lisalsong has found that's not the case. A must read: https://t.co/nZIifvncS6
1/ Last year, I became obsessed with a plastic cup. The cup was made via pyrolysis — a kind of chemical recycling I'd heard a lot about. The plastics industry made pyrolysis sound magical. It could turn hard-to-recycle plastics into new plastic. So I tried to buy the cup…
Under all the math and engineering involved in this "advanced" plastic recycling process, @LisaLSong found an inconvenient truth: Not much is being recycled at all, nor is pyrolysis capable of curbing the plastic crisis. Not now. Maybe not ever. https://t.co/kCUQIEtZCD
The world is drowning in plastic. Experts say we need to stop making so much. But the plastics industry is peddling a "solution" that works like magic. Don't be fooled. https://t.co/l5dVKtMYfU
New: The plastics industry has heralded a type of chemical recycling it claims could replace new shopping bags and candy wrappers with old ones -- but not much is being recycled at all, and this method won't curb the crisis. https://t.co/V6DqwbXnwg
"Ocean currents in the Pacific send plastic from around the world towards Vanuatu." How the small Pacific island nation of Vanuatu drastically cut plastic pollution https://t.co/PbVwKymhAt