12 reasons why plastic recycling is failing so badly

As good citizens, we diligently fill the recycling bins provided by our local authorities with all manner of plastic trays, boxes, bottles and bags. But as these bins fill up quicker and quicker each week, an awkward question arises: is all this effort actually doing any good?

Many of us would answer with a sceptically resigned “of course not”. The facts unfortunately support this increasingly common view. In Europe, only around 15% of plastics are recycled, while in the United…

© La Conversation - mardi 24 février 2026