Uploaded June 2024 | Updated September 2026, 14 hours ago
People often ask what really happens to their plastic recycling. Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter where your discarded plastic is collected, whether at the end of your driveway, at your local recycling center, or in a municipal recycling bin: Most plastic items collected as recycling are not actually “recycled.” Many people are now realizing that plastic is not designed to be recycled—it’s a false solution sold to us by corporations and governments. What’s more, plastic recycling drives continued production and pollution of plastics and fossil fuels, and their related injustices.
So what should you do? Stop trying to “recycle” plastic altogether? During our June 5, 2024 webinar, we discussed the realities and harmful impacts of plastic recycling, from recycling’s toxic transfer and magnification of plastic chemicals, to its links to waste colonialism and injustice, microplastic pollution, and much more. Instead of doubling down on a broken system, we need real plastic-free reuse, refill, repair, share, and regenerative solutions to solve plastic pollution. Our panelists included: Davis Allen, Investigative Researcher at the Center for Climate Integrity; Jim Puckett, Executive Director of the Basel Action Network; and Kristine Kubat, Executive Director of Recycle Hawaii. The conversation was moderated by Aditi Varshneya, Network Development Manager at GAIA (Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives).
People often ask what really happens to their plastic recycling. Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter where your discarded plastic is collected, whether at the end of your driveway, at your local recycling center, or in a municipal recycling bin: Most plastic items collected as recycling are not actually “recycled.” Many people are now realizing that plastic is not designed to be recycled—it’s a false solution sold to us by corporations and governments. What’s more, plastic recycling drives continued production and pollution of plastics and fossil fuels, and their related injustices.
So what should you do? Stop trying to “recycle” plastic altogether? During our June 5, 2024 webinar, we discussed the realities and harmful impacts of plastic recycling, from recycling’s toxic transfer and magnification of plastic chemicals, to its links to waste colonialism and injustice, microplastic pollution, and much more. Instead of doubling down on a broken system, we need real plastic-free reuse, refill, repair, share, and regenerative solutions to solve plastic pollution. Our panelists included: Davis Allen, Investigative Researcher at the Center for Climate Integrity; Jim Puckett, Executive Director of the Basel Action Network; and Kristine Kubat, Executive Director of Recycle Hawaii. The conversation was moderated by Aditi Varshneya, Network Development Manager at GAIA (Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives).
