In more "recycling is just shipping your plastic overseas where it actually doesn't get recycled"

LA Times: Malaysia will stop accepting U.S. plastic waste, creating a dilemma for California

https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-06-26/malaysia-bans-us-plastic-waste-what-will-california-do

#plastic #environment #ReduceRepairReuseRecycle

Malaysia will stop taking U.S. plastic waste. What will California do?

Malaysia emerged as a major destination for U.S. waste after China banned U.S. waste imports in 2018.

Los Angeles Times

@ai6yr

As someone who retired from maintaining plastics manufacturing plants, I can confirm used plastic is not usable for recycling. Sure, it's theoretically possible, but that used stuff damages and clogs up the extruders in very short time, often within minutes. Either it is buried or burned. And burned plastic is worse than dirty coal and that's not even including the lead and antimony required for heat stabilize it and so called "natural" rubbers. Plastics should not be made. The more you know, the worse it gets ☠️

@dianea @ai6yr
The only hopeful thing about getting rid of plastics is the tale of modified bacteria that have been grown to eat the stuff.
Not sure how promising this avenue is, since I've heard very little about it after an announcement a few years back.