'Recycled' British plastic found dumped in India
Plastics & Rubber Weekly 09.10.08
Plastic packaging and bottles that consumers believe are going to local recycling plants are ending up buried in India, according to a UK news investigation.
[Reporter] Mark Jordan travelled to the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, and discovered wells of British-branded rubbish, estimated to be around 30 feet deep...Concerned locals told the investigation that there were at least ten such waste wells and that the pits also contained American waste.
Our Take: It’s an inconvenient truth that many items entering the
recycling stream don’t get recycled. We’re seeing increasing evidence
of recyclables getting burned or buried in landfills -- or shipped
overseas. Recycling has its place in reducing waste -- but it’s no
silver bullet (e.g., it doesn’t change consumption).
Want to learn more about why recycling doesn’t work for plastic bags? See our myth-busting article:Recycling Can Fix This, Right?
Link: 'Recycled' British plastic found dumped in India