“Here’s where you might be thinking: “But what about recycling?” The truth here is harsh. According to the Plastic Pollution Coalition, only 9 percent of plastic is recycled. When I speak to Program Manager Jackie Nunez, she tells me that the bulk of what we throw into the blue bin ends up in the landfill. One big reason for this is that we used to sell our plastic waste to China, but they stopped taking it. Additionally, most people don’t understand that throwing one wrong thing into the bin—Nunez calls this “wish-cycling,” as in “This seems recyclable”—can contaminate the whole bin and destine its contents for the landfill. (There are many additional contributing factors here—detailing them would require a separate article but suffice it to say, our recycling system is not in a good place!)
What’s more, recycling is a misnomer. “Recycled” plastic is actually down-cycled, says Nunez, and once the product your water bottle’s been converted into reaches the end of its lifespan, it goes to the landfill. Plastic does not go away.”
So how about refusing plastic from now on?
https://www.wellandgood.com/good-home/plastic-free-home-tips/