When it comes to plastics, the recycling industry has always been a sham. Dutiful consumers reasonably expect their recycling efforts are rewarded by beneficial results, but are often deceived, becoming unwitting accessories to continuing environmental and international trade crimes—a handful of recycled plastic picnic tables notwithstanding.
About the Author: IAITAM
The International Association of IT Asset Managers (IAITAM) is the largest organization providing education, certification and thought leadership to the management of IT as a business. IT Asset Management is the management of hardware, software, mobile and other technology to maximize the value to the organization.
In order to significantly reducee the natural degrade time, governments have imposed limits on the amount of additives engineered into plastics to make them more durable. An unintended consequence is that the plastic is much less useful for recycling in manuafacturing new products. VIrgin plastic is expensive so recycling is always desireable when it works.