The Global Plastic Problem

The US creates more plastic waste than any other country

A new study has found that not only does the United States generate the most plastic waste, but also contributes as much as five times more discarded plastic pollution than previously thought.

In 2021 Americans are using plastic products more than ever. In its current form, America’s waste management infrastructure isn’t capable of handling recycling demands of the over 300 million population.

Exporting surplus US waste abroad

Shockingly, America exports about of half of its waste to other countries, much of which is recyclable. What makes matters worse is around 88% of America’s waste that is exported, end up being sent to countries that also have incapable waste management infrastructures.

Much of the waste isn’t actually even recycled. Partly because it’s contaminated, or difficult to process. Without setting up proper waste management infrastructures, un-recyclable plastic and other trash continue to pollute, and harm the environment.

Why some plastic waste isn’t being recycled

Only around 9% of the total plastic American’s discard, enters into recycling system. Even then, there’s no promise that this plastic is going to be recycled into new products.

The majority of plastic created with no recycled materials, is so cheap to manufacture that only specific high-grade plastics are profitable to recycle within the United States. Which is why around half of American’s discarded plastic was shipped overseas in 2016, the most recent year for which this data was available.

Sadly, recycling is not and has never been a real solution to managing our plastic waste. It’s a marketing tactic the plastic industry has been using in order to convince consumers it’s ok to continue using plastic if it gets recycled. Thus, allowing them to sell more plastic.

Imagine it like this: If people believe their plastic waste is being recycled, even when it in fact is not, they have no problem continuing to plastic without questioning the consequence.

Where our plastic waste actually goes

Currently our discarded plastic is filling up landfills, many of which are reaching or have already reached full capacity. The plastic that does not end up in a landfill is exported to developing countries.

In fact, trash from the US is being exported all around the globe, including some of the world’s poorest countries, where the labor is cheap and there isn’t enough environmental regulation.

Our waste is also shipped to countries that have insufficient waste management infrastructure to handle the needs of their populations’ growing use of plastic. As well as the high volume of US plastic waste they import to their country.

We were previously led to believe that exporting waste is a mutually beneficial agreement. For nations like the US, exporting waste is an easy way to consider plastic waste as “recycled” while avoiding the costs of actually disposing of the plastic. These developing nations accept this trash because to them it is a consistent source of income.

The Largest Culprits

Data shows that worldwide, China is the largest plastics manufacturer. It also shows that the US is by far the world’s biggest producer of plastic waste. Although we can all agree that finger pointing and blaming is not going to produce a global solution to this environmental problem.

Instead, we all need to accept the responsibility for the effects our waste can cause to our planet, and the environmental concerns that arise from it. That is why we must all work together as a community, in order to protect the environment and Planet which we all share.