, Guest Columnist
Plastic Recycling Is Broken. Capitalism Can Fix It.
By putting a value on the environmental and social impact of recycling projects, a new kind of bond can change the way they are financed.
A plastic recycling plant in Sri Lanka, June 2023.
Photographer: Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP
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When it comes to plastic waste, the numbers are alarming. And they’re getting worse.
According to the OECD, 91% of all plastic used goes unrecycled into nature, oceans, landfill or incineration every year — that’s 320 million tons. By 2060, there will be an additional 30 billion tons. Only 5 billion tons are predicted to be recycled.