McKinsey & Company – Accelerating plastic recovery in the United States

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Plastic waste is a critical issue of our time. Effecting change will require an integrated approach. Americans consume 100 pounds per person, per year, of packaging and food-service plastics. Only 12 percent of this material is recycled; 60 percent of material goes to landfill or incinerated. Texas and California account for approximately 25 percent of unrecovered volumes, reflecting below-average use of waste-to-energy and a lower recycling rate. Maintaining even currently low recycling rates will require meaningful investment, authors say.