Plastic Waste in Australia
20
This increased investment in production undermines the argument that plastics can be
recycled.
As the Centre for International Environmental Law puts it: “… we can’t accept in
good faith that [plastics companies] are trying to address the pollution problem
… [
while
they are] announcing investments of billions of dollars in new plastic production
buildout.
”
117
This is like the fossil fuel industry saying it supports decarbonising the economy
while building new coal and gas. How can recycling be a genuine solution to the plastics
problem when the very companies strongly advocating for it are heavily investing in virgin
plastic manufacturing?
117
Waste 360 (2023)
How are petrochemical companies doing in shifting from virgin plastic?,
https://www.waste360.com/plastics/how-are-petrochemical-companies-doing-shifting-virgin-plastic