Plastic Recycling is an Actual Scam | Climate Town
Why Hacker News recommends it
Commenters send it as a short, entertaining explanation of why people believe plastic is recyclable and how industry PR created that belief.
What it is
Climate Town gives a comedic, fast-paced account of how the plastics industry promoted recycling, including the resin-code recycling symbol, while knowing most plastic could not be economically recycled. It points viewers to the Frontline documentary Plastic Wars for a deeper treatment.
Recommended by 5 HN commenters across 4 different months, 2021 to 2026.
What Hacker News said
Recommends 09bjb · 2021-09 · on “California aims to ban recycling symbols on things that aren’t recyclable”
Would it surprise you to hear that the plastics industry came up with that symbol in order to make it confusing to the layperson to differentiate between recyclables and single-use plastics? "Source" (not a primary source): [this video] <-- which has some links to further reading/viewing and a few sources.
Recommends modo_mario · 2023-07 · on “Scientists Say Recycling Has Backfired Spectacularly”
A lot of things you'd think can be recycled actually can't be. This video gives a good overview about the reason this belief is so prevalent.: [this video]
Recommends andersrs · 2023-07 · on “Scientists Say Recycling Has Backfired Spectacularly”
> Why do we buy so much single-use packaging It's designed to be that way by the PR guys that created the plastic recycling logo. This video is under 10mins and features a lot of the PR adverts. [this video]
Recommends brikym · 2024-02 · on “Plastics producers deceived public about recycling, report reveals”
It makes a lot of sense. Corporations make more money the more junk they produce. If you have 10 minutes I recommend watching this video about how the lobby groups invented the whole idea of recycling plastic with the little numbered resin identification code that looks like a recycling symbol. [this video]
Recommends mngnt · 2026-01 · on “There's a ridiculous amount of tech in a disposable vape”
This youtube video explains why plastic recycling exists, how it's mostly ineffective and why is it a scam created to normalize one-use plastic. This basically applies to electronics and others. "Why would I reuse or reduce, I can buy, consume an recycle". [this video]
Cites fredley · 2023-03 · on “Brazilian researchers find 'terrifying' plastic rocks on remote island”
Individual action alone cannot stem climate change and mass plastic pollution. All the cheapest food is packaged in single-use plastic. All the cheapest clothes and toys are made of plastic. One simply cannot opt out of this system without making massive, potentially ostrasizing changes to one's life. Many/most cannot afford fancy plastic-free goods. Most plastic pollution in the ocean is directly related to shipping and in particular fishing[0]. Nothing I can do individually can address this, change must come from World leaders and industry bodies working in good faith across international borders. They all know this is happening, they all know measures that could be taken to address it. Mu
Cites TheRealPomax · 2025-01 · on “University of Alabama Engineer Pioneers New Process for Recycling Plastics”
Okidokey: [LINK] and specifically [this video] so there you go. Plastic recycling, because of what plastics are, is basically impossible at cost. PET recycling might make you think "see, we can recycle plastics" but first and foremost, PET recycling isn't recycling, it's reuse (using the PET as a base material to make something else, like fleece, which cannot be recycled), and second: the majority of plastics aren't PET and literally have no recycling path.