Talks to Watch

Plastic Wars (full documentary) | FRONTLINE

2.4M views · Apr 1, 2020 · 53:16 · 1 HN recommender · 3 mentions · discussed 2020–2023

A FRONTLINE documentary on whether efforts to fix plastic pollution made it worse. It looks at the battle over plastics and recycling and how little plastic is actually recycled.

Why Hacker News points people here: HN recommends it as an eye-opener on how recycling was promoted by the plastics industry despite not working.

“If you want to have your eyes opened about just how little of the material you probably think you are recycling actually gets recycled”HN comment, 2020

What Hacker News said 3

Strongly recommendskbos87Sep 2020

“If you want to have your eyes opened about just how little of the material you probably think you are recycling actually gets recycled”

Shows how little plastic is actually recycled.

Full comment

If you want to have your eyes opened about just how little of the material you probably think you are recycling actually gets recycled, watch the recent Frontline episode called “Plastic Wars”. The sad truth is that while recycling is worthwhile, it’s also a woefully insufficient solution that has been held up by the petroleum industry as a cure all to prevent a backlash against plastic. Even products that are labeled recyclable often aren’t once they are processed. One thing that sticks with me (and this is just one representative example) is that almost none of those plastic salad containers that have overtaken supermarkets are ever recycled. this video

in “Pringles tube tries to wake from 'recycling nightmare'” · view on HN
Cites itechopuritySep 2021

“The whole movement to recycle plastic was an industry scam to knowingly profit from destroying the planet.”

Documentary on recycling as industry scam.

Full comment

The whole movement to recycle plastic was an industry scam to knowingly profit from destroying the planet. this video

in “California aims to ban recycling symbols on things that aren’t recyclable” · view on HN
Cites itgghffguhvcJul 2023

“Recycling turned out just the way the plastic producers wanted it.”

Source for claim recycling served plastic producers.

Full comment

Recycling turned out just the way the plastic producers wanted it. Source - Frontline Documentary “Plastic Wars”. Full documentary at this video .

in “Scientists Say Recycling Has Backfired Spectacularly” · view on HN