'THE Fraud of Plastic Recycling: How Big Oil and the Plastics Industry Deceived the Public for Decades and Caused the Plastic Waste Crisis' is a report that details how the oil and plastics industries in the US deliberately fooled the US public about the viability of plastic recycling. As the title of the report hints, the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Climate Integrity does not mince words in condemning the oil and plastics industries for the massive, decadeslong deceit and the harm that it has produced: 'If not for the Big Oil and the plastic industry's lies and deception, [US] municipalities and states would not have invested in plastic recycling programs and facilities, many of which have been shut down due to foreseeable economic losses. The industry not only misled municipal and state agencies to believe that plastic recycling was a viable solution to plastic waste but also discouraged them from pursuing other, more sustainable waste management strategies (e.g., waste reduction, reuse, bans, alternative materials) in favor of plastic recycling.' (Center for Climate Integrity, February 2024).

The report chronicles how the oil and plastic industries over the years have responded to public concern about plastic waste. We were fooled into believing that plastics could be recycled at scale, and therefore, we needn't worry about the ever-growing volumes of plastics being produced, consumed and thrown out. Alas, we have awakened to reality, with birds and whales choking to death on plastics, milk and eggs contaminated with dioxins, our streets flooded as plastics clog the drainage systems. Landfills and dumps are overflowing with plastics, some of which indeed served important purposes, while others were used for only a few minutes before becoming trash.