Next up in the video series; Interceptor Trashfence Stops a Plastic Tsunami in the World’s Most Polluting River (Then Fails)

This video blew my mind. I had never thought about the impact floods would have on ocean plastic pollution, but here it is in all its garbagy glory. From what I take from this video, this river floods at least yearly and normally carries thousands of pounds of plastic directly to our oceans. The Ocean Cleanup states, “Rivers are the main source of ocean plastic pollution. They are the arteries that carry waste from land to the ocean. Our research found that 1000 rivers are responsible for roughly 80% of the pollution”.

When I thought of how plastic entered the ocean I was picturing it traveling by air or boat, being wafted by wind or dragged out to sea. I now realize this makes much more sense!

I wonder where all of this plastic is coming from? Maybe floods running through landfills? If anyone knows, please comment your knowledge below.

If you want to help create demand for reuse of all of this plastic, check out Leafe: LINK

Recycling can be confusing… some say it’s the best and only way to save our planet, and some say it’s useless because only a fraction of what we recycle is actually used again. Is this true, and if so, why?

On my quest to answer this question, I found this video that gives an easily digestible explanation, and so much more. Watch below or on Odysee to support this amazing creator!

TLDR (Highlights):

• 9% of what we put in our recycling bins is actually recycled.
• Plastic giants encouraged recycling because it would make people feel better about using plastic, and avoid banning plastic entirely.
• Greenwashing: deceptively using marketing techniques to convince the public that a company’s products, aims, and policies are environmentally friendly (when they actually aren’t).
• “In 1988, the Society of the Plastics Industry introduced 7 Resin Identification Codes (RICs). You can find one of these 7 marks at the bottom of a water plastic bottle or yogurt container which identifies the resin used in its construction. … While only 2 of those resins are recyclable, the RICs design was incredibly similar to the recycling logo.” These symbols were cemented in people’s minds as meaning that anything with an RIC symbol on the bottom was recyclable, even though they aren’t.
• Wish-cycling: recycling something even though you don’t know if it’s recyclable.
• Recycling non-recyclable plastics contaminates the plastic recycling stream, causing problems at materials recovery facilities (MRFs). This makes the process much less efficient, and more expensive in the process.
• “…recycled plastic has a lower quality yet a higher cost compared to its virgin alternative. … the recycling process downgrades plastic quality. A plastic product can be recycled up to a maximum of 3 times, and you’ll still have to sneak virgin plastic into the mix at every cycle to compensate for quality degradation.”
• Prior to 2018, the US sold 70% of its plastic recycling to China. In 2018, China decreased their imports of plastic recycling by 99%. “On paper, China said that the incoming plastic was often contaminated with hazardous waste, harming their workers and environment. Chances are that, after factoring in healthcare and environmental remediation costs, the Chinese government realized that our waste was no longer worthwhile.”
• This increased household recycling fees by 11%, and while some other countries have filled some of the gap, most of what would normally have gone to China is now routed to landfills or incinerators. “Yet, even when using the best technology, burning plastic may release dioxins and other harmful pollutants into the air.”
• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law: “Based on the “Polluter Pays Principle”, the EPR policy shifts recycling costs from taxpayers and local governments to packaging brands. Besides paying a fee, companies that want to sell plastic packaging will have to develop reuse schemes and easily recyclable products. As reported by the Extended Producer Responsibility Alliance, EPR programs helped its state members reach plastic recycling rates of up to 68%.”
• Oceanworks Marketplace “was the first company to recieve the ocean-bound plastic (OBP) certification in the Americas” in 2021. “OBP is all the plastic you find on land or waterways within 50 km (ca. 30 miles) of the shoreline. … it’s cheaper to collect, more widely available and has a better quality than the plastic which has been rotting in the water.” Oceanworks makes useful products out of this plastic, reducing the demand for new plastic.
• Giants like Nestle and Coca Cola increased the amount of recycled plastic in packaging by 60% from 2018-2020.
• “According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), when combining recycling and food waste composting, we divert 32% of our total municipal solid waste (MSW) from landfills.”
• “When looking at different types of waste, paper and cardboard account for two thirds of our overall recycling capacity. In comparison, the plastic share is under 5%.”
• As shift in focus to plastic free solutions (reducing the demand for plastic in the first place) has been increasing recently. “[U]sing mushroom roots, a.k.a. mycelium, you can create foams that are more sustainable and cheaper than polystyrene-based ones. … A start-up has been developing a solid bio-foam by baking algae oil. … Notpla made invisible packaging out of seaweed.”
• “Many scientists around the world have realized that³² certain microorganisms can digest polymers, like PET, into its basic units. These can then be upcycled into new higher-quality polymers or reused as is.”

In short, plastic recycling has always been incredibly flawed and ripe with manipulation of public thought. While we can increase recycling efficiency, the most beneficial thing for the environment would be to switch to plastic free alternatives. In the meantime, I hope with Leafe to create demand for recycled plastic, in the hope of giving our existing plastic somewhere to go… and wow, is there a lot of it!

Find out more about Leafe here: LINK