"There’s an Explosion of Plastic Waste. Big Companies Say ‘We’ve Got This.’"

"Big brands like Procter & Gamble and Nestlé say a new generation of plants will help them meet environmental goals, but the technology is struggling to deliver."

"By 2025, Nestle promises not to use any plastic in its products that isn’t recyclable. By that same year, L’Oreal says all of its packaging will be “refillable, reusable, recyclable or compostable.”

And by 2030, Procter & Gamble pledges that it will halve its use of virgin plastic resin made from petroleum.

To get there, these companies and others are promoting a new generation of recycling plants, called “advanced” or “chemical” recycling, that promise to recycle many more products than can be recycled today.

So far, advanced recycling is struggling to deliver on its promise. Nevertheless, the new technology is being hailed by the plastics industry as a solution to an exploding global waste problem."

Hiroko Tabuchi reports for the New York Times April 5, 2024.

SEE ALSO:

"“Chemical Recycling”: Backend Fix or Toxic Technology?" (National Caucus of Environmental Legislators)
https://www.ncelenviro.org/articles/chemical-recycling-backend-fix-or-to...

Source: NYTimes, 04/08/2024