- Just 9% of all plastic waste ever created has been recycled, researchers estimate.
- Last year, the U.S. exported 74,000 shipping containers of plastic waste to low-income countries, researcher Jan Dell said.
- For decades, China was the primary destination for global plastic waste. Now more countries in Latin America are emerging as hotspots.
That plastic takeout container you toss in a recycling bin? Odds are you’re actually doing little for the environment.
The packaging could end up in a landfill in the U.S. or be shipped abroad and burned. The tiny plastic particles may ultimately show up in your blood, the rain and air.