News Texas resident used Apple AirTags to discover plastics taken to Houston recycling centers aren't being recycled

[Admin]

A Houston resident discovered that their recyclable trash isn't being processed when the AirTags they used to track the recyclables show them sitting in a private open-air lot.

Texas resident used Apple AirTags to discover plastics taken to Houston recycling centers aren't being recycled : Read more

 

[Notton]

If you looked into the history of plastic "recycling" this wouldn't come as a surprise.

It's one of the biggest scams that the plastics industry (big oil) sold to the public. They were fully aware that plastic recycling wasn't feasible back in the 70's, and it still isn't feasible in the 20's.

They made us, the public, believe that the responsibility is on us, "to do our part", instead of the company making the offending product.

 

[Findecanor]

This is plastics recycling in the US. Specifically, this is plastics recycling in Texas.
I don't have much faith in the US, and especially in Texas caring much for the environment at all.

Don't lump all recyclers together. Just because there are bad actors in the US (exactly as predicted) there are not bad actors everywhere, and it does not prove in any way that plastics recycling couldn't work.

 

[USAFRet]

This is plastics recycling in the US. Specifically, this is plastics recycling in Texas.
I don't have much faith in the US, and especially in Texas caring much for the environment at all.

Don't lump all recyclers together. Just because there are bad actors in the US (exactly as predicted) there are not bad actors everywhere, and it does not prove in any way that plastics recycling couldn't work.

Don't poke at only the US and Texas.

https://www.sustainableplastics.com...d-meet-waste-collection-and-recycling-targets

https://climateintegrity.org/uploads/media/Fraud-of-Plastic-Recycling-2024.pdf

https://financialpost.com/commoditi...ion-for-plastic-waste-littered-with-failure-2

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/critics-call-out-plastics-industry-over-fraud-of-plastic-recycling/

 

[ezst036]

Not surprised this hasn't changed.

We always get these messages from the government and the politicians to do our part and recycle, and they setup these programs and initiatives for recycling. I remember seeing them as a kid. "It's the three R's!"

I always felt recycling was just something they wanted us to do as a form of "busywork" to waste our time in our garages so we couldn't look at how badly they're legislating and squandering tax dollars.

Next thing you know the people who have been in office for the last 30 years are going to campaign on "we're going to fix this" if you just elect us meanwhile they've been in office for the last 30 years. You're the guys who did this. Why aren't you fixing it right now and why didn't you fix it a decade ago? You do not get to campaign as if you are entirely disconnected from the office you are currently elected to.

 

[OnlyWohanWay]

How can you track recycling with an Apple Air tag. Apple Air tag is not a recyclable plastic. If the recycling is done properly, the air tag is going to get removed. This test can't prove anything.

 

[zrobalance]

The point of her "test" and the story was that her tag ended up in a storage lot rather than a recycling center. I was shocked to see that people still think recycling is happening in their area. Most waste in "recycling" bins ends up in landfills in the U,S.

 

[Giroro]

"Exxon will superheat and then chemically treat the plastics for recycling to turn them into new plastic products or fuel."

At least Exxon understands that plastic is essentially a hydrocarbon, and burning it to generate power usually makes a lot more sense than most other options. Although Exxon should not be trying to trick people into thinking that energy-recovery incineration is some kind of new advanced recycling, because it's not.

Still it's a much better option than just pulling out the metal and dumping the plastic in the ocean, which is what was happening when we were paying companies promising to recycle it overseas.

 

[The Historical Fidelity]

This is plastics recycling in the US. Specifically, this is plastics recycling in Texas.
I don't have much faith in the US, and especially in Texas caring much for the environment at all.

Don't lump all recyclers together. Just because there are bad actors in the US (exactly as predicted) there are not bad actors everywhere, and it does not prove in any way that plastics recycling couldn't work.

Hahaha and don’t lump all of Texas into that. I live in Irving that is one of the only cities in the country that has its own dedicated recycling facility (1) and we are planning to expand the size to allow other cities in Texas to send their recycling to us.

And the Houston project is not an actual recycling facility. It is a prototype part of the pre-processing plan for Irving’s recycling facility aimed to find a way to treat type 4 plastics as well as plastic containers that contained hazardous chemicals like motor oil, pesticides, etc. to allow them to be processed at the Irving facility. This is why they are saying they need enough stockpiled material to experiment and hone in on the best industrial scale process.

But like all things media these days, it’s less “reporting” and more “sensationalizing”

https://corporate.exxonmobil.com/ne...ns-at-large-scale-advanced-recycling-facility