California to Investigate Whether Petrochemical Companies Misled Public about Plastic Recycling Efficacy
By Romero Halloway
Plastic recycling doesn’t work.
The little blue bins where one puts a single-use beverage bottle or cup simply foster an illusion and a true commitment to sustainability must grapple with this undeniable fact.
The state of California took an unprecedented step in shattering this deleterious illusion recently when Attorney General Rob Bonta announced an investigation into petrochemical companies to determine the extent to which they have known about the futility of plastic recycling and the extent to which they have misled the public.
“The truth is: The vast majority of plastic cannot be recycled, and the recycling rate has never surpassed 9%,” Bonta said in a statement announcing he subpoenaed Exxon Mobil.
We here at VITRI have been at pains to point out this very fact that is gaining increasing acceptance – most of the plastics that are used do not end up recycled into other products but instead end up in landfills. Landfills are the second-best case scenario, aside from actually being recycled, but dumps all over the world are teeming with plastic refuse.
Unfortunately, another common terminus for single-use plastics is littered all over the planet, clogging riverways, desecrating some of the world’s most beautiful beaches or strewn aside roadways or floating in enormous gyres in the middle of the ocean.
Exxon Mobil told journalists that California’s investigation is counterproductive as the company is attempting to improve recycling processes.
“We are focused on solutions and meritless allegations like these distract from the important collaborative work that is underway to enhance waste management and improve circularity,” the company said in an emailed statement.
Bonta’s investigation would be the first of its kind into plastic pollution, as public awareness about the inefficacy of plastic recycling has not caught up to the data.
The case is expected to model itself after lawsuits that claimed oil and gas companies knew about their contributions to climate problems but withheld that evidence from the public.
Our role at VITRI, aside from moral support, is to provide substitutes for a status quo that is not working for the environment or human health.
We here at VITRI are eager to give consumers an alternative, market-based solution to the plastic pollution problem, which is why we developed the VITRI™ Tumbler.
The VITRI Tumbler is an on-the-go mug that eliminates synthetic materials like plastic, rubber, and silicone from the drinking experience by employing a patent-pending glass seal.
At VITRI, we believe thoughtful product design and engineering can improve the eating and drinking experience in concert with sustainability and wellbeing. We’re offering consumers a better alternative to plastic products: reduced environmental impact, chemical-free conviviality, and an overall better drinking experience.
We believe the VITRI Tumbler is a substantive contribution to an enhanced culinary experience fully capable of providing the convenience and sustainability that will consign the concept of disposable plastics to the garbage heap of history.
Editor's Note: This post has been updated to reflect our rebranding to VITRI.