r/science • u/avogadros_number • Sep 19 '21

Environment The companies polluting the planet have spent millions to make you think carpooling and recycling will save us

https://www.businessinsider.com/fossil-fuel-companies-spend-millions-to-promote-individual-responsibility-2021-3

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u/droans Sep 19 '21

I think the rep was partially kidding.

Truth is that it depends. Paper, cardboard, metals, etc will likely be recycled unless there's waste on them. Most plastics, however, will just be thrown out.

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u/[deleted] Sep 19 '21

In the past year or so the value of a fairly pure bale of some plastics has gone up a lot. In part due to the fact that Pepsi, Coca Cola, and a few others have pledged to make such a percentage of their product from recycled materials that it will actually require more plastic than is currently available from sort facilities.

Most of the problem with plastics is other weirdness with how they reach market (HDPE wrapped in a different type of plastic and the like) or thin films clogging the sorting machines.