Watch the following video:
Ted-Ed: What Really Happens to the Plastic You Throw Away?
So, is recycling the answer? Maybe not. In reality, plastic is taking over the world, and it has health and environmental consequences. How did this catastrophe happen? The corporations not only fought efforts to prevent this outcome, but gaslit consumers into thinking that the responsibility of protecting the environment fell on them.
Even as some companies are supposedly changing their ways (“for real, this time”) some are still staunchly opposed- they cite the reason as consumer demand. So, perhaps changing your purchasing habits can make a greater impact than you might think. On the other hand, if more people knew the environmental impact of plastic and the truth about recycling, they would not prefer the plastic bottles- such is the power of education (and greenwashing propaganda).
Luckily, communities and consumers are beginning to pull the wool away from their eyes and recognize the ruse. This knowledge gives them power to make a change.