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When you put something in the recycling, you assume it will be recycled, right? Not always. We’re in a global recycling crisis. Increasingly, recycled materials are ending up in landfills, incinerators, and even the environment as litter. Here’s why 1/ wired.trib.al/dZryFEr
The crisis started a year ago, when China stopped accepting most recyclable waste. For years it had handled nearly half the world’s recyclable waste, but in an effort to halt a deluge of contaminated materials, it cut imports by 99% 2/ wired.trib.al/dZryFEr 
This has jammed the works of recycling programs around the world. With nowhere to send plastic, and to a certain degree aluminum and glass, local governments and recycling processors are scrambling to find new markets 3/ wired.trib.al/dZryFEr
In the US, places like Minneapolis have stopped accepting black plastics and rigid No. 6 plastics that are commonly used for disposable cups. Most large cities have found alternatives, but small towns and rural recycling operations have been hit hard 4/ wired.trib.al/dZryFEr
Other places, like Philadelphia, are now burning the bulk of their recyclables at a waste-to-energy plant. This practice is becoming more popular in Europe, too, despite major concerns about air pollution 5/ wired.trib.al/dZryFEr
Without China’s help, our already massive waste problem will be exacerbated and the planet’s load of nearly indestructible plastics—more than 8 billion tons have been produced worldwide over the past six decades—will continue to grow 6/ wired.trib.al/dZryFEr
But there is reason for optimism—other options are beginning to emerge. Several US materials recovery facilities are modifying equipment and changing practices to better handle recycled materials. And Chinese processors are opening US facilities as well 7/ wired.trib.al/dZryFEr
New policies aimed at reducing plastic waste are also in the works. The European Parliament recently approved a ban on single-use plastics, and Britain is planning to tax manufacturers of plastic packaging with less than 30 percent recycled materials 8/ wired.trib.al/dZryFEr
China’s decision may actually prove beneficial. While it’s sparked chaos in the short term, it’s also drawn attention to how the world deals with its waste. If proper alternatives are found, plastic pollution could decrease in the coming years 9/ wired.trib.al/dZryFEr
