An international report released this month found efforts to recycle single-use plastic waste are failing miserably and not keeping pace with production, creating more oceanic waste and material buried in landfills.
The second Plastic Waste Makers Index, compiled by the philanthropic Minderoo Foundation, found the world generated 139 million metric tons of single-use plastic waste in 2021, which was 6 million metric tons more than in 2019, the first year the index came out.
The report blames lack of recycled feedstocks by petrochemical companies, which it said remains "at best a marginal activity," according to Reuters. In 2016, the U.S. exported 16 million tons of plastic, paper and metals to China and was forced to divert its refuse elsewhere after 2018. Citing national statistics, the state agency said if U.S. recycling levels can reach 75%, it will be equivalent to the environmental benefit of removing 50 million cars from the road each year and will generate 1.5 million new jobs.
Some manufacturers are utilizing secondary material from outside of Utah. These manufacturers indicated they would go to in-state suppliers if the price was competitive. The state said it is necessary to educate those processors and collectors of recyclables about the potential in-state market for certain materials that they can or do handle.
Some hurdles identified include lack of knowledge about what can be recycled and not knowing how effective community recycling programs are.
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