RECYCLING CENTRE, IPSWICH – In the modern world, recycling stands as the last beacon of hope in a sea of plastic pollution. Or so we’ve been led to believe. But hold onto your eco-friendly hats, folks, because it’s time to peel back the layers of the recycling facade and uncover the inconvenient truth.

Take the humble plastic bottle, the poster child of recycling efforts everywhere. We dutifully toss them into our recycling bins, patting ourselves on the back for our environmental responsibility. But here’s the kicker: most of those bottles don’t end up being recycled at all. Yep, you heard it here first.

Despite our best intentions, a significant portion of post-consumer plastic waste meets its fate in the landfill rather than the recycling plant. And if, by some stroke of luck, your plastic bottle does make it to a recycling facility, the journey is far from over. The recycling process itself is a costly endeavour, with consumers bearing the financial burden. While we sort our recyclables and pat ourselves on the back, big corporations profit handsomely, churning out more plastic products with abandon.

One area where recycling has proven successful is glass. Especially vodka bottles (In Suffolk at least.) In ancient Egypt, glass was meticulously melted down and reshaped into fresh vessels, while in Rome, shattered glass found new life as components of intricate mosaics and ornamental artworks. Thank you to all the recycling alcoholics out there!

Up-cycling

For many working-class folks, recycling is nothing more than a distant dream. With long hours, multiple jobs, and barely enough time to make ends meet, the luxury of sorting recyclables is simply out of reach. While the middle-class champions recycling as a badge of honour, ordinary working people are left struggling to keep their heads above water, let alone save the planet.

So where does that leave us? It’s time to cut through the greenwashing and hold corporations accountable for their role in the plastic crisis. As consumers, we have the power to demand better, safer materials and support businesses that prioritize sustainability over profits. Because when it comes to saving the planet, there’s no time to waste.