The Plastic Recycling Lie

The Plastic Recycling Lie

DARE Vanguard

Why recycling may be less of a solution than we have been led to believe — and why better materials may matter more than better waste management.

Written by · · Sustainability & Innovation

Statement Summary

The Argument in Brief

  • Recycling has become a familiar part of everyday life, but the existence of a recycling system does not necessarily mean that plastic consumption itself is being meaningfully reduced.
  • DARE questions whether decades of public relations around plastic recycling have helped make continued plastic production feel more acceptable than it should.
  • The article argues that recycling is fundamentally a short-term response to a problem that begins much earlier: the continued production and widespread use of plastic.
  • DARE Vanguard's research points toward emerging materials and companies developing alternatives to conventional plastic, including Shellworks and its Vivomer material.
  • DARE Vanguard believes smaller innovators working on ethical and sustainable technologies deserve greater attention, investment and public awareness.
  • DARE Vanguard also acknowledges its own contradiction: sustainable alternatives for international product packaging and shipping remain difficult to implement at scale, and the brand wants to improve as better solutions become accessible.

The Recycling System We Take for Granted

Recycling has long been a part of the daily life of many in westernized countries. Everything from plastic, aluminum, cardboard and alike. The companies that are behind these you may believe are local or international NGOs, or a national regulatory entity for emissions reduction and a greener future. That is true. For the most part companies such as these are behind recycling in major cities you visit. but from time to time there are other agendas running the game of recycling.

How the Plastic Recycling Narrative Was Built

Our minds are easily manipulated. As a society, on average, a lot of propaganda passes through and sticks, little to none gets actually questioned by the masses. The plastic industry, which is in-itself the recycling industry is notorious of using these public relations techniques to sway the masses towards appreciating the recycling efforts and agenda. This has proven efficient, but not entirely true, as recycling is a short-term solution as production increases by 4% yearly, while recycling stays the same.

When Recycling Becomes the Solution to the Wrong Problem

This industry became so good at lying to us, that we continue to consume it as if nothing. Not only that, but large VCs care more about profits from these products rather than focusing on human integrity and prosperity.

Looking Beyond Plastic Recycling

Recently in my research, I came across multiple companies that are finding replacements and long-term solutions to this issue. One of the biggest being “ShellWorks” with their “Vivomer” material directly replacing plastic - made from mycelia. I have a theory, big firms do not want to invest in small companies such as these, because they have no benefit, smaller profit margins, more complex production, and it is not already mass-marketed to people for its usefulness as much as plastic has been and still is instilled into our daily lives. That is why we want to invest in these small companies, and help them find funding. In the future, we will create a platform for that exact purpose - promoting ethical and sustainable innovations in any field.

We Are Part of the Problem Too

Usually this is where I’d say how much we are different, but we are stuck in the same loop as everyone, it is near impossible to find a way to ship internationally to our clients with sustainable solutions. We do the best we can with what we have, and we don’t lie to you. This is why we want to increase awareness and our influence, to later on provide a better packaging for our products, and help grow this market via our future platform for innovations in sustainability & ethics.

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