Where does Plastic Go

Much of the plastic dropped in recycling bins isn’t even recycled. In 2014, 22% of PET plastic collected for recycling was exported out of the United States. Why? Our facilities can’t keep up: Plastic production surged from 15 million tons in 1964 to 311 tons in 2014 an increase of more than 2,000 percent. Currently, 300 million tons of new plastic is produced annually and less than 10% is recycled.

As oil prices fluctuate, so too does the price of plastic. When those markets are depressed, virgin plastic becomes far cheaper to buy than recycled. In addition, many plastic products degrade each time they’re processed unlike metal or glass, which can be perpetually recycled making them progressively less valuable.

Without a profitable market in which to sell it, it’s not cost-effective for many recycling companies to process plastic so they sell it to other countries at a loss. In 2011, China imported nearly half of America’s plastic waste.

In countries like India, waste pickers sort through the trash to find the pieces that are most valuable thicker plastics and metals. The remainder becomes landfilled or incinerated, creating a health crisis for communities. Local waterways act like conveyor belts, sending plastic straight out to sea.