This briefing document is for members of Halt the Harm Network (HHN) and allies- please only share with your colleagues, partners and trusted individuals. Do not share this resource publicly.
This brief is co-created by leaders in HHN to provide background on the issue and strategic insight into the interventions available. You are welcome to use the information and resources provided here however they are useful for your work!
See the Taking Action section for important campaign resources, including a leader directory with contact information for key folks.
Overview of toxic plastic breakdown AKA “chemical recycling”
So-called “chemical recycling”, also known as “advanced recycling,” “molecular recycling” and other similar phrases, are misleading umbrella terms coined by the plastics industry to promote facilities that are claiming to solve the plastic pollution crisis— but in reality they are greenwashing to allow the continued production of plastic.
What is really happening at “chemical recycling” facilities is toxic plastic breakdown of various kinds, using heat, pressure and/ or chemicals. Most of these toxic plastic breakdown facilities are producing dirty fuels, not recycling any plastic and creating additional air, water and land pollution.
Toxic plastic breakdown processes release hazardous pollutants, produce large quantities of hazardous waste, and the facilities are generally sited in communities that are disproportionately low-income, people of color, or both.
Toxic plastic breakdown processes have different names like pyrolysis, gasification, depolymerization, or other technical words, but what they all have in common is that they are fraught with technical challenges, health, environmental justice, ecological and economic concerns. Because of these uncertainties and the unproven nature of these technologies, scientists estimate that “chemical recycling” may be able to, at best, address approximately 3% of global plastic waste generated in 2040— making it far from the magic solution to plastic waste industry is trying to sell.
The information on this page applies to fossil-fuel based plastics, which is the vast majority (99%) of all plastics.
This is a work in progress and a growing resource- please contribute your comments, ideas and additional resources to the Toxic Plastic Breakdown Discussion Forum.
Here’s what’s Included:
- Important background and context about plastic
- What is toxic plastic breakdown (AKA “chemical recycling”)?
- Major health, environmental, and environmental justice concerns
- Other issues with toxic plastic breakdown
- Key strategies, supporters and perceptions across the landscape
- Policy strategies for challenging toxic plastic breakdown and campaign examples
- Solutions to reduce plastic harms and protect health
- Taking Action
- Reference Index
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Toxic Plastic Breakdown, AKA “chemical recycling”
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