Uploaded March 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Get Nebula using my link and get and 40% off an annual subscription: go.nebula.tv/joescott
Watch my exclusive video detailing the Resin Identification Codes and what they mean here: nebula.tv/videos/joescott-the-resin-identification-codes-and-what-they-mean
For decades, we’ve been told that plastic waste is recyclable, and have been encouraged to recycle our plastic bottles and packaging. And yet, we somehow only recycle around 5% of the plastic waste we produce every year. And we keep producing more plastic every year. Why isn’t this working? Maybe it’s because even the plastic industry knows that plastic recycling is not technically or economically feasible. And they’ve been lying to us about it the whole time.
A lot of the quotes were sourced from this report by the Center for Climate Integrity: climateintegrity.org/uploads/media/Fraud-of-Plastic-Recycling-2024.pdf
Want to support the channel? Here's how:
Patreon: patreon.com/answerswithjoe
Channel Memberships: youtube.com/channel/UC-2YHgc363EdcusLIBbgxzg/join
T-Shirts & Merch: answerswithjoe.com/store
Check out my 2nd channel, Joe Scott TMI:
youtube.com/channel/UCqi721JsXlf0wq3Z_cNA_Ew
And my podcast channel, Conversations With Joe:
youtube.com/channel/UCJzc7TiJ2nnuyJkUpOZ8RKA
You can listen to my podcast, Conversations With Joe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Spotify 👉 spoti.fi/37iPGzF
Apple Podcasts 👉 apple.co/3j94kfq
Google Podcasts 👉 bit.ly/3qZCo1V
Interested in getting a Tesla or going solar? Use my referral link and get discounts and perks:
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Twitter: twitter.com/answerswithjoe
LINKS LINKS LINKS
https://invention.si.edu/imitation-ivory-and-power-play
sciencemuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/chemistry/age-plastic-parkesine-pollution
sciencemuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/chemistry/age-plastic-parkesine-pollution
nesta.org.uk/feature/guide-historical-challenge-prizes/the-billiard-ball-prize
britannica.com/science/Bakelite
scientificamerican.com/article/a-brief-history-of-plastic-world-conquest
dictionary.cambridge.org/us/pronunciation/english/bakelite
science.org/doi/10.1126/science.175.4027.1240
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Eyes_Cody
priceonomics.com/the-true-story-of-the-crying-indian
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Paleface_(1948_film)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertha_Parker_Pallan
climateintegrity.org/uploads/media/Fraud-of-Plastic-Recycling-2024.pdf
climateintegrity.org/uploads/media/Fraud-of-Plastic-Recycling-2024.pdf
education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/worlds-plastic-pollution-crisis-explained
nspackaging.com/comment/recycling-symbols-explained-green-dot-mobius
cdn.toxicdocs.org/6w/6wr0N7GOdVw85VaozkQqZp3M9/6wr0N7GOdVw85VaozkQqZp3M9.pdf
npr.org/2024/02/15/1231690415/plastic-recycling-waste-oil-fossil-fuels-climate-change
oceana.ca/en/blog/burning-plastic-is-not-a-recycling-solution-its-more-pollution
cspinet.org/article/plastic-codes-numbers
quora.com/Which-type-of-gases-are-emitted-when-burning-LDPE-and-PET-plastics
pes-tec.com/images/pestec/TS-2-7_HDPE-Fire-Behaviour-and-Properties_20200220/GI_102-1_HDPE_Fire_Behaviour_and_Properties.pdf
sustainability.stackexchange.com/questions/2959/do-4-ldpe-plastic-bags-need-to-be-recycled-at-grocery-stores-like-2-hdp
packaginginsights.com/news/plastic-research-polyethylene-releases-harmful-gases-when-exposed-to-sunlight.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polypropylene#Manufacturing_from_polypropylene
quora.com/Why-is-polypropylene-not-recyclable
journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.3109/10915818809014521
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polystyrene#Degradation
tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=101741
un.org/en/exhibits/exhibit/in-images-plastic-forever
turbofuture.com/misc/recycled-materials-list-examples
recyclingtoday.com/news/bci-study-claims-lead-batteries-most-recycled-consumer-product-in-united-states
epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/ferrous-metals-material-specific-data
steel.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Steel-Sustains-in-Recyclability-Fact-Sheet.pdf
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium_recycling
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium_recycling
TIMESTAMPS -
0:00 - Recycle Your Husband
2:00 - Plastic Recycling
7:00 - The Boom of WW2
10:27 - Tangent Cam
11:15 - The Problem
17:30 - Introducing RIC
20:38 - What's The Solution?
29:00- Sponsor - Nebula
Get Nebula using my link and get and 40% off an annual subscription: go.nebula.tv/joescott
Watch my exclusive video detailing the Resin Identification Codes and what they mean here: nebula.tv/videos/joescott-the-resin-identification-codes-and-what-they-mean
For decades, we’ve been told that plastic waste is recyclable, and have been encouraged to recycle our plastic bottles and packaging. And yet, we somehow only recycle around 5% of the plastic waste we produce every year. And we keep producing more plastic every year. Why isn’t this working? Maybe it’s because even the plastic industry knows that plastic recycling is not technically or economically feasible. And they’ve been lying to us about it the whole time.
A lot of the quotes were sourced from this report by the Center for Climate Integrity: climateintegrity.org/uploads/media/Fraud-of-Plastic-Recycling-2024.pdf
Want to support the channel? Here's how:
Patreon: patreon.com/answerswithjoe
Channel Memberships: youtube.com/channel/UC-2YHgc363EdcusLIBbgxzg/join
T-Shirts & Merch: answerswithjoe.com/store
Check out my 2nd channel, Joe Scott TMI:
youtube.com/channel/UCqi721JsXlf0wq3Z_cNA_Ew
And my podcast channel, Conversations With Joe:
youtube.com/channel/UCJzc7TiJ2nnuyJkUpOZ8RKA
You can listen to my podcast, Conversations With Joe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Spotify 👉 spoti.fi/37iPGzF
Apple Podcasts 👉 apple.co/3j94kfq
Google Podcasts 👉 bit.ly/3qZCo1V
Interested in getting a Tesla or going solar? Use my referral link and get discounts and perks:
https://ts.la/joe74700
Follow me at all my places!
Instagram: instagram.com/answerswithjoe
TikTok: tiktok.com/@answerswithjoe
Facebook: facebook.com/answerswithjoe
Twitter: twitter.com/answerswithjoe
LINKS LINKS LINKS
https://invention.si.edu/imitation-ivory-and-power-play
sciencemuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/chemistry/age-plastic-parkesine-pollution
sciencemuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/chemistry/age-plastic-parkesine-pollution
nesta.org.uk/feature/guide-historical-challenge-prizes/the-billiard-ball-prize
britannica.com/science/Bakelite
scientificamerican.com/article/a-brief-history-of-plastic-world-conquest
dictionary.cambridge.org/us/pronunciation/english/bakelite
science.org/doi/10.1126/science.175.4027.1240
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Eyes_Cody
priceonomics.com/the-true-story-of-the-crying-indian
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Paleface_(1948_film)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertha_Parker_Pallan
climateintegrity.org/uploads/media/Fraud-of-Plastic-Recycling-2024.pdf
climateintegrity.org/uploads/media/Fraud-of-Plastic-Recycling-2024.pdf
education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/worlds-plastic-pollution-crisis-explained
nspackaging.com/comment/recycling-symbols-explained-green-dot-mobius
cdn.toxicdocs.org/6w/6wr0N7GOdVw85VaozkQqZp3M9/6wr0N7GOdVw85VaozkQqZp3M9.pdf
npr.org/2024/02/15/1231690415/plastic-recycling-waste-oil-fossil-fuels-climate-change
oceana.ca/en/blog/burning-plastic-is-not-a-recycling-solution-its-more-pollution
cspinet.org/article/plastic-codes-numbers
quora.com/Which-type-of-gases-are-emitted-when-burning-LDPE-and-PET-plastics
pes-tec.com/images/pestec/TS-2-7_HDPE-Fire-Behaviour-and-Properties_20200220/GI_102-1_HDPE_Fire_Behaviour_and_Properties.pdf
sustainability.stackexchange.com/questions/2959/do-4-ldpe-plastic-bags-need-to-be-recycled-at-grocery-stores-like-2-hdp
packaginginsights.com/news/plastic-research-polyethylene-releases-harmful-gases-when-exposed-to-sunlight.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polypropylene#Manufacturing_from_polypropylene
quora.com/Why-is-polypropylene-not-recyclable
journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.3109/10915818809014521
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polystyrene#Degradation
tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=101741
un.org/en/exhibits/exhibit/in-images-plastic-forever
turbofuture.com/misc/recycled-materials-list-examples
recyclingtoday.com/news/bci-study-claims-lead-batteries-most-recycled-consumer-product-in-united-states
epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/ferrous-metals-material-specific-data
steel.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Steel-Sustains-in-Recyclability-Fact-Sheet.pdf
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium_recycling
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium_recycling
TIMESTAMPS -
0:00 - Recycle Your Husband
2:00 - Plastic Recycling
7:00 - The Boom of WW2
10:27 - Tangent Cam
11:15 - The Problem
17:30 - Introducing RIC
20:38 - What's The Solution?
29:00- Sponsor - Nebula
