Is plastics recycling a realistic solution to the plastics crisis, or is it another smoke screen from the oil sector? 

TL;DR

• Plastic has myriad applications and is an integral material in multiple industries worldwide, but it is almost wholly derived from fossil fuels and has a significant environmental impact.  

• Plastics recycling has been widely adopted by consumers globally, with both mechanical and chemical recycling methods capable of leading to the reuse of plastic polymers in various ways. Come 2029, estimate predict that the industry will be worth more than $40 billion.  

• However, the process is not without flaws. Recycling demands that plastic products are separated by chemical makeup, which can be extremely costly.  

• Many plastics can only be reused once or twice. Further, non-recyclable single-use plastics have contributed to a throwaway culture, fuelled by the misconception that all plastics are recyclable. 

• Eliminating plastics completely or moving away from recycling does not offer realistic solutions to the plastics crisis. Governments must take a macro view of the problem, legislate against single use plastics, and commit significant investment to ensure plastic recycling can contribute to a circular plastics economy. 

The detail

Since its invention as an alternative to ivory in 1862, plastic has become an ubiquitous material. It’s cheap, durable, and a chemical marvel. Globally, we produce 300 million tonnes of plastic each year and approximately 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic have been produced since the 1950s.  

Its uses are seemingly endless and span multiple industries, from bumpers in cars and body armour for the military to electronic appliances and packaging.  

These highly visible and valuable use cases barely scratch the surface of what’s possible with plastics. Several industries are now using advanced polymers to support their sustainability goals, such as the fibre-reinforced plastic polymers being employed to reduce the weight of electric vehicles and increase their range, performance, and lifespan.   

However, these lesser-known applications of plastics – and their contribution to sustainability initiatives – are not well publicised and often fail to be acknowledged or understood on a larger scale.  

Even so, there is undoubtedly a problem with plastics, both in the UK and globally. 99% of plastic is made from fossil fuels, like fracked gas and oil, and the climate impact of producing and disposing plastics accounts for 3.4% of all global greenhouse gas emissions. The throwaway culture associated with many consumer plastic products has also contributed to up to 12 million metric tonnes of plastic entering our oceans each year.  

Recycle and reuse  

While the limitations of single-use plastics have achieved a high level of consumer awareness in the UK, recycling has long been seen as a solution to the continued consumption of plastics as a whole.  

Nearly all UK local authorities offer a plastics recycling service. 94% of UK adults participating in a survey by the Environmental Services Association (ESA) and the British Plastics Federation (BPF) say that they recycle most of the time while 60% claim to always recycle plastic. As a result, it’s reported that, in the UK, 75% of PET drinks bottles, 49% of plastic packaging, and 37% of all plastic is recycled.  

Both mechanical and chemical recycling have important roles to play in reducing the amount of plastic that ends up in landfill or polluting the oceans. Chemical recycling breaks plastic polymers down into molecules that can then be used to create new plastics, synthetic fuels, and a range of other products. This method provides a sustainable source of raw materials to industry, greatly reducing the environmental impact of plastic-rich products.  

It's a booming business. In 2022, the plastics recycling market was valued at $27.9 billion and is expected to reach $40.4 billion by 2029.  

While being economically profitable, recycling plastics can also have tangible environmental benefits. If all plastics were recycled, it is predicted it could save between 30 and 150 million tonnes of CO2 each year.  

One study found that the environmental cost of plastic in consumer goods is 3.8 times less than the alternative materials that could replace it. If glass, aluminium, and paper were to replace plastic, the environmental cost would rise from $139 billion to $533 billion a year.  

A calculated diversion or a flawed solution?  

Set against a backdrop of the oil industry making more than $400 billion a year making plastic, it’s easy for the industry’s critics to claim that promoting recycling is an effective way for big oil to divert attention from drives to reduce – and eventually eliminate – plastic production and consumption.  

Manufacturers and consumers are undoubtedly heavily reliant on plastics. England alone is estimated to use 2.7 billion items of single-use cutlery and 721 million single-use plates each year. Yet with only 10% of these items recycled, the majority contribute to the landfill images that rightly cause horror and alarm.  

The plastics recycling process is also far from perfect. Its effectiveness relies on a change in consumer behaviour, improved infrastructure, and the introduction of government policies that support and promote recycling.  

There are several difficulties with recycling plastics. It can be an expensive process that requires meticulous sorting as each chemically distinct variety of plastic must be recycled separately. Due to material degradation, many plastics can only be reused in like-for-like products once or twice.  

Consumer confusion is widespread. The RICs symbol, which was adapted from the three arrow Mobius-strip-inspired recycling logo, can leave the average person unsure of which plastic products can be recycled and which should be discarded. This lack of understanding has been compounded by people’s tendency to produce and consume without restraint. Social media and the need to portray a performative lifestyle, for example, has served to embed a throw-away and disposable attitude to many plastic products.  

Education and investment are required to ensure plastics recycling can be made more efficient and economical. Recent figures paint a more positive picture; European plastics manufacturers have increased their planned investment in chemical recycling from €2.6 billion in 2025 to €8 billion in 2030.  

Global powers have also identified limitations within the plastics sector as it stands, banding together to enact widespread change. 173 countries at the UN environmental assembly in Nairobi agreed to develop a legally binding treaty covering the full lifecycle of plastics, from production to disposal.  

However, there are concerns that this treaty will exclude communities in developing countries who are harmed by the disposal and burning of plastic waste, as well as marginalised waste pickers. A broader, intersectional, macro view is therefore required.  

Closing the loop  

It’s important that the promotion of plastics recycling does not detract from campaigns to step away from single-use plastics. Uncertain consumers with a high awareness of recycling but a limited knowledge of its nuances may feel empowered to continue with the consumption of non-recyclable plastics due to the mistaken belief that it can and will be recycled. The ban on single-use plastic implemented in England is one example of the way that governments can help to combat this mindset and effect long-lasting change.  

Equally, recycling should not be the only initiative that receives investment.  

Product design can be improved by taking the recyclability of plastic into account and companies can be incentivised to use biodegradable materials. Investment in technology can expand the scope of plastic materials that can be recycled, such as the polymers used to make flexible pouches. Open loop recycling can also unlock more possibilities for reusable plastic, using the polymers to create an entirely new type of product including water pipes, park benches, and even pairs of trainers.  

When arguing whether plastics recycling is an unwelcome distraction funded by the oil sector or a realistic solution to the plastics crisis, there is no definitive answer. Plastics recycling has a role to play, but it won’t fulfil its true potential or silence its critics until it represents one part of a circular plastics economy.  

By taking a global view of the problem, legislating against single-use plastics, and committing significant investment into making both mechanical and chemical recycling more efficient and economic, the world will be able to leverage plastics recycling in the most effective way possible.  

While the reuse of plastic polymers in different products has its benefits, real progress will be made when sustainable feedstocks can be used produce a new generation of plastic products with a high level of recycled content. 

— Lew 👋

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The Transition’s work is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as advice in any capacity. Always do your own research.