Does Soft plastic waste that I leave at the supermarket actually get sent off for recycling?

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sexy-egg-1991@reddit

Plastic Recycling is a complete scam. Glass and metal are great to recycle, but we are being lied too about plastic. There's a few documentaries on YouTube about it all. Why we are putting up with this is beyond me

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MrMargaretScratcher@reddit

Oh well if there's documentaries on youtube then it must be true.

Keep an eye out for the one I'm making about how I've never been to Australia so it doesn't exist.

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sexy-egg-1991@reddit

It's funny to me how people like you will make statements like this, without even looking! Go watch a few and come back. Plastic recycling is a fkin scam

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MrMargaretScratcher@reddit

Oh well would you look at that:

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskUK/comments/1s4zjol/comment/ocrdhk5/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Again, if someone hasn't seen Australia, that doesn't mean Australia doesn't exist, whereas if someone *has* seen Australia, that *does* mean Australia exists

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sexy-egg-1991@reddit

They dump that plastic. Im.past giving a fk talking to you.you live in lala land if you think they recycle any of it.

https://youtu.be/mCjmFysj6kU?si=Mpd8EYehAVP2FKlR

https://youtu.be/pShQxuoPZ_w?si=ByVRHL5FNRqC64HP

Just type in. "The truth about recycling" we are being had

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MrMargaretScratcher@reddit

Also from your 2nd link it explains that thin plastics go to an energy from waste plant where they are burned for energy than buried in landfill.

"Oh but won't the smoke be bad for the environment?"
Oh shit, you're right! I can't believe a load of people with years of training, data and experience overlooked such a simple thing - lucky some guy who failed all his GCSEs was around to raise the issue and save the planet...

Thanks for the confirmation, I'll carry on recycling.

One more question - are you recycling all the tinfoil you make your hats from?

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sexy-egg-1991@reddit

They don't recycle the plastic. But you keep wasting your time. We should be demanding that single use plastic is banned and only used when necessary. Eg, medical etc. THEY DO NOT RECYCLE IT and you just don't wanna hear it

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MrMargaretScratcher@reddit

I know, because as your video states, it's burned to create energy, which is better than it going to landfill.

Apart from, of course, when it is recycled, like here for example:

https://plastecowood.com/product/boardwalks-and-walkways/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=15634510311&gbraid=0AAAAADkYK5bFdzcbjQ5XX3q_rtmyOSBRW&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_Iu34eLjkwMVXJtQBh2AhCSJEAAYASAAEgJbvPD_BwE

But no doubt that's all just make believe...

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MrMargaretScratcher@reddit

Oh, so the people above were buying bales of it to dump it, yeah? Funny business model, that...

Also, from your second "guy I've never heard of says a thing" video:

"91% of your recycling never gets recycled."

Thanks for confirming that recycling does happen.

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sexy-egg-1991@reddit

It gets dumped abroad..so yeah

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Breaking-Dad-@reddit

I read somewhere that most of it goes for incineration (energy recover), but, it might be recycled now or in the future, so it is not a bad habit to have if it isn't too much difficulty. You don't really lose anything by doing it.

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sexy-egg-1991@reddit

And that's not recycling...but tell the idiots here that

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GC7_92@reddit

You're right, it just gets incinerated currently. There are companies developing technology to recycle it and turn it back into feedstock.

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Ok-Pop3399@reddit

Most of the big chains like Co-op, Tesco, and Sainsbury’s claim they send soft plastics to specialist recyclers, but the process isn’t perfect. Contamination, sorting errors, or lazy handling can mean some of it doesn’t get recycled. So yes, some of your efforts probably make it into recycling, but it’s not 100 percent guaranteed. Your contribution isn’t wasted though it helps the system work better overall.

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DameKumquat@reddit

Exactly - it diverts from landfill, which is good in itself. And in order to recycle plastic, we need to build the input streams and create the system to deliver sorted, sufficiently clean plastic. And energy from waste plants also need guaranteed suitable source material.

When I first worked in waste, people were complaining about fridges being collected 'for recycling' but just 'being dumped in Wales'. Scandal and headlines about scarring Welsh countryside etc.

They were in a site next to where the fridge recycling plant was being built. It opened a couple years later and had enough stock to keep going while systems were organised to get all old fridges sent there. Works great. That bit didn't get any headlines, though.

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godtierjerker@reddit

Wasn't this only asked about 2 days ago?

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mdmnl@reddit

I feel it should be mandatory to search the sub before posting.

How much does the tooth fairy leave what's your favourite discontinued sweet what snacks should I take to/bring from the U.S.A. what chocolate hasn't gone downhill what hasn't shrinkflated does anyone win those dreams house competitions...

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Over-Language2599@reddit

An AI bot (I know, but it has its place) could do this, and refer most of the rest of the questions to the more appropriate sub.

Many questions asked belong in legal, finance or driving subs.

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escapingfromelba@reddit

That would break reddit for a couple of reasons. The company itself wants traffic so having an endless cycle of repetition helps them, but so do the posters who I suspect just want to be heard/to say something to get a little bit of attention. They know that google can solve their problem or that other people have posted the same point days ago as most as regulars.

In other words, few posts are put up to obtain actual answers unless you are on a technical sub.

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godtierjerker@reddit

I agree. Especially for showerthoughts questions like this post, or ones where a simple Google search would give you an answer.

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coastalkid92@reddit

I was about to say -- I commented on this not too long ago.

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Equivalent_Photo_557@reddit

ou are doing the right thing but the system behind the bin is not holding up its end. Environmental law organisation ClientEarth has said the findings show supermarkets are misleading customers with on-pack labelling that says recycle with bags at large supermarkets. The Good Dog Guide Continuing to separate it out is still worth doing as the infrastructure develops, but going in with clear eyes about what actually happens to it is fair.

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SpaTowner@reddit

u/One_cartoonist8928 had the phrase ‘dog friendly restaurants’ in their comment, unconnected to the rest of their answer; you have ‘the good dog guide’ similarly randomly in yours.

What’s going on, am I hallucinating dog related phrases?

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SgtBukkakeMan@reddit

More like the AI bots are hallucinating

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ImmediatePiano6690@reddit

I think the issue with a lot of it is it needs cleaning up before it can be recycled and most soft plastic isn't clean, so as the cost to clean it before recycling is to much they just waste it.

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PolarLocalCallingSvc@reddit

My old council actually took soft plastic recycling kerbside. In fact they even took composites like KitKat wrappers (foil and plastic).

They would then press them into something called EcoSheets - so like plastic version of chipboard, or decking or park benches.

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One_Cartoonist8929@reddit

Your instinct to question it is well placed. A 2024 investigation by Everyday Plastic and the Environmental Investigation Agency tracked 40 bundles of soft plastic left at Tesco and Sainsbury's collection points. Of the tracked plastic that reached a known destination, 70% was not recycled at all. It was either burnt for energy or turned into fuel pellets for industrial use. Dog-friendly-restaurants

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TooLittleGravitas@reddit

Even if it's not recycled in the sense of used in new products, if it is being used for energy generation it is not going to landfill and is reducing demand for other energy sources.

Still better than just binning it.

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SpaTowner@reddit

Dog friendly restaurants? How do they fit with the rest of your comment?

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