Plastic Recycling Stagnant at 5%; Ineffective Methods Promoted

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Chemical recycling, touted as a solution to plastic waste, actually turns out to be mostly incineration that creates harmful pollution rather than recycled materials.

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A shocking 80% of "chemical recycling" facilities use pyrolysis, which converts as little as 0.1% of plastic waste back into new plastic products.

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Just three pyrolysis plants created over 2 million pounds of hazardous waste between 2021-2024, with waste traveling through 13 states for disposal.

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One jet fuel mixture derived from plastic waste posed such extreme health risks that EPA estimates suggested a one-in-four cancer risk for regular exposure.

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These polluting facilities are disproportionately placed in vulnerable communities, raising serious environmental justice concerns as the industry expands.

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Despite clear evidence of failure, the plastics industry continues pushing "chemical recycling" while lobbying to remove pollution controls and environmental protections.

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Real solutions exist: reducing plastic production, using better materials, and building reuse systems would address the problem without creating new toxic threats.

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