Since plastics recycling is apparently still a divisive topic, let's make this concrete.

Yes, plastic recycling happens some places, some of the time. Yes, it is nominally a good thing to try to do. No, it doesn't actually work, there is no conceivable way it *will* work in the near future, and it is ab-so-fucking-lutely not a solution to the plastic waste problem.

If you feel differently, then here is how you change my mind: show me that there is a city or region, *any* city or region of 50k or more people anywhere in the world, where >95% of *mixed* plastic waste is recycled. That means not burned, not exported, not used as filler. Actually recycled into new plastic products, in a fully traceable manner, of which at least half must be high-grade (eg. new food packaging). The collection phase must be mixed, ie. not pre-sorted by plastic type by the consumer.

If you can show me that, we will talk. Those are the requirements. They should be easy to meet, if plastic recycling can truly work.