Today marks the 26th America Recycles Day, an initiative that prompts us to reflect on the benefits of recycling along with the ways in which recycling in the United States can be improved to make for a more effective system.

Each year, nearly 430 million tons of plastic is produced globally – two thirds of which is only used for the short-term and quickly becomes waste. We need to drastically alter our relationship with plastic in order to reduce its negative effects, such as contamination of soil, water supplies and even our own bodies. And, Americans largely recognize this.
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In fact, the leading perceived cause of climate change in the U.S. is plastic pollution and about half of all Americans think recycling can have an impact on climate change. However, only about 25% of U.S. waste is actually recycled.
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If Americans are aware of recycling’s key role in reducing plastic pollution and thus mitigating climate change, why haven’t we achieved our recycling goals?

The U.S. recycling system is outdated and under-resourced as it was never designed to process all of the single-use waste that’s thrown away today. What can and can’t be recycled is often confusing to even the most well-intentioned consumer. And, with the rise of false solutions such as bioplastics, which are touted as environmentally-friendly alternatives to traditional plastics, corporations and individuals alike are distracted from addressing plastic production at its source.
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Conventional plastics are made from fossil fuels, which translates into an incredibly profitable business for the world’s largest oil producers as we have become increasingly dependent on the material. These companies stand to benefit by pushing the narrative that recycling alone can solve the pollution crisis. In reality, reducing plastic production is the first step that needs to be taken in tandem with a greater push for recycling. It’s more important now than ever for the U.S. to refocus its attention on cutting plastic use and improving recycling rates, as leading plastic producers have proven that they are not taking action alone.
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States with the highest rates of recycling have demonstrated that smart recycling policies – such as Deposit Return Systems (DRS) and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) – can not only reduce waste in a meaningful way, but also spur economic growth. But these policies are only active in a few states across the country and ought to be adopted nationwide.
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DRS policies apply a small fee in addition to the cost of beverages in single-use containers. Customers can be reimbursed for that amount when they bring the container to a collection point for recycling. DRS is most effective in boosting recycling rates when it is paired with EPR policy, which holds producers responsible for their single-use products throughout the product’s full life cycle – including the collection, sorting, recycling and/or final disposal of the plastic container. This shifts the financial burden of waste management away from local governments and places it on the producers of the plastic packaging. Together, these policies not only bring in additional funding for recycling in America, but also incentivize packaging to be made more readily recyclable or reusable for consumers.
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It’s important to recognize America Recycles Day for what it is – a chance to check-in, reevaluate and promote improvements to our nation’s recycling efforts while keeping in mind that the ultimate solution to the plastic pollution crisis points back to cutting plastic production off at the source. By increasing effective recycling in our country, we can also reduce litter in the environment, create valuable jobs and economic growth in communities across the U.S. and even reduce our dependence on foreign sources of raw materials. We have the solutions, now it’s a matter of pushing play on the policies we know will help us improve our recycling system.