Greenpeace warns: Recycling plastic can be more toxic and does not solve the pollution crisis
Greenpeace's warning comes days before negotiations begin on an international plastics treaty that recycles and says the material could result in an increase in its toxicity, making it an unsuitable option for dealing with the pollution crisis.
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A report was produced to coincide with the start of the new talks on a possible global plastics treaty. This report comes in response to independent research that found that shredding plastics for recycling results in the spread of microplastic pollution in the environment. “Plastics are inherently incompatible with a circular economy”, said the global environmental network in a report that brings together research showing that recycled plastics are more toxic than their virgin constituents.
The treaty
Last year, representatives from 173 countries agreed to develop a legally binding treaty that addresses the entire "lifecycle" of plastics, from production to disposal. This treaty is being negotiated over the next two years. Next week there will be a meeting in Paris to discuss this matter, but criticism has already arisen due to the exclusion of communities in developing countries that are affected by the inappropriate disposal and burning of plastic, as well as marginalized waste pickers, who play a crucial role in recycling. If these voices are absent, there is a fear that the negotiations will be affected by corporate interests.
The report
Graham Forbes, head of Greenpeace USA's global plastics campaign, said the plastics industry, including fossil fuel, petrochemical and consumer goods companies, continues to promote plastic recycling as the solution to the plastic pollution crisis. However, the toxicity of plastic actually intensifies with recycling. Plastics don't fit into a circular economy, and it's clear that the only real solution to eliminating plastic pollution is to drastically reduce plastic production. Since the 1950s, approximately 8 billion tons of plastic have been manufactured.
The report brings together peer-reviewed research and international studies which demonstrate not only the recycling of a small proportion of these plastics (just 9%), but also reveal that those that are recycled end up having higher concentrations of toxic chemicals. This, in turn, increases their potential for harm to human and animal health and the environment.
The plastics
According to Drag. Therese Karlsson, scientific advisor to the International Pollutant Elimination Network (IPEN), recycled plastics often contain high amounts of harmful chemicals, such as toxic flame retardants, benzene, and other carcinogens. They also contain environmental pollutants such as brominated and chlorinated dioxins, as well as various endocrine disruptors that can interfere with the body's natural hormone levels. In addition, plastic waste destined for recycling is generally exported by rich countries to poorer regions of the world.
“Plastics are made with toxic chemicals, and those chemicals don't just disappear when plastics are recycled. Science clearly shows that plastic recycling it's a toxic enterprise with threats to our health and the environment along the entire recycling stream. Simply put, plastic poisons the circular economy and our bodies and pollutes our air, water and food. We must not recycle plastics that contain toxic chemicals. Real solutions to the plastics crisis will require global controls on chemicals in plastics and significant reductions in plastics production.”
O Greenpeace
According to projections, plastic production is estimated to increase threefold by 2060. Greenpeace emphasized the need for a global treaty to immediately address significant reductions in plastic manufacturing as an initial step towards the complete elimination of virgin plastic production. In addition, Greenpeace advocates the maximum reuse of remaining plastics and the development of waste disposal technologies that are not limited to incineration or burial of these materials.
