IN-DEPTH: Plastic Not as Recycable as Consumers Were Led to Believe, Experts Say

Consumers have been misled about the recyclability of plastic. ‘It’s essentially state-mandated public deception,’ according to policy analyst David Allaway.

Bales of recycling material are prepared at the Waste Management Material Recovery Facility in Elkridge, Md., on June 28, 2018. Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

Consumers have been misled about the recyclability of plastic, according to those who argue that industry labeling has caused the public to place too much trust in what is not an easy solution for reducing waste.

David Allaway is a senior policy analyst with the Oregon state’s Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ).