Recycling: One of the Greatest Environmental Myths of All Time

Today, I want to talk about one of the greatest environmental myths ever: recycling. When I say myth, I should probably say scam. We’ve been told that if we just recycle, we can solve the plastic crisis. But is that really true, or just a greenwashed lie designed to shift blame away from those responsible? Spoiler: it’s the latter.If you’ve been listening to this podcast for a while, you’ll know how much I despise the way recycling has been used to deceive the public - but you might not know all the details.So in this episode, we’re getting into the history and facts behind recycling.In this episode, I share:The long and complicated history of recyclingHow greenwashing and corporate blame-shifting have influenced recyclingThe introduction of the misleading arrow recycling symbolHow governments and corporations have used recycling as a smokescreenWhat actually happens to your recyclingWhy downcycling is the biggest problem with plastic recyclingWhy incineration and waste-to-energy schemes are a bad ideaReal solutions to tackle the recycling issueWhy manufacturers should be responsible for product disposal and recyclingThe truth behind biodegradable and compostable plasticsKey Quotes“Corporations are gearing up to produce 30% more plastic by 2030.”“In the USA less than 5% of plastic waste is recycled.”“At the end of the day the recycling system is fundamentally broken.”Find our full podcast via the website here:https://www.nowthatswhaticall.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowthatswhaticallgreen/You can follow me on socials on the below accounts.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briannemwest/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@briannemwestLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briannemwest/For our latest big project, find out more about Incrediballs here: https://incrediballs.com/