Less than 5% of plastic waste—around 2.4 million tons—was recycled in 2021, per a report. The same year, US households generated over 51 million tons of plastic waste.
According to the report by Greenpeace, the remaining 95% of plastic waste was dumped in landfills or oceans.
The report also found that no plastic currently used in packaging in the US fits the definition of ‘recyclable’.
Plastic recycling rates have reduced drastically over the years. In 2014, around 9.5% of plastic waste was recycled. Not a huge figure, but even this number has been declining since then.
Greenpeace’s report can be a wake-up call for companies to take action, reduce plastic waste and show commitment towards reusable packaging.