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U.S. plastic recycling rate drops to close to 5%

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© Reuters. As the coronavirus (COVID-19), continues to spread in New York’s borough of Brooklyn, a man wearing a mask protects his face and walks along with recyclables inside a shopping bag. This is October 13, 2020. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File Photo

By Valerie Volcovici

WASHINGTON (Reuters] – Plastic waste recycling in America fell between 5%-6% in 2021 after some countries refused to accept U.S. exports. Meanwhile, plastic waste generation soared to new heights according to a Wednesday report.

Environmental groups Last Beach Clean Up, Beyond Plastics and others have released a report showing that the recycle rate is down from 8.7% in 2018 (the last time that the Environmental Protection Agency had published figures).

This decline is accompanied by a dramatic drop in the number of plastic waste exports. Plastic waste was previously considered recycled plastic. China and Turkey now have plastic import bans. Other countries also set limits on plastic waste contamination under the Basel Convention Plastic Waste Amendments. The United States didn’t ratify them in 2019.

According to the report “The U.S. must assume responsibility for managing its plastic waste,” which was based on 2018 EPA, recent industry data and 2021 Export statistics, the estimate of the 2021 recycling rates is:

The EPA has not released its latest yearly recycling rate data since last year. In 2020, it published 2018 rates. The agency could not be reached immediately for comment.

According to the report, plastic waste production in America is increasing at an alarming rate and the recycling rate has fallen. Plastic waste per capita increased from 60 lbs in 1980, to 218 lbs in 2018, a total of 263%.

The plastic and petrochemical industries are urging for better recycling throughout the country. However, there is increasing pressure to stop virgin plastic production.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta initiated an investigation last week into the role of the fossil fuel- and petrochemical industry in the “cause and exacerbating” the global plastics polluting crisis. The industry was accused of perpetuating the “myth that recycling can fix the problem.” [L2N2WQ2LY]

“Recycling is not working, it will never work,” stated Judith Enck, a former regional administrator at the EPA.

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