Learn more about the process of chemical recycling and its impact on our ocean

When you think of recycling, you are most likely thinking of a process called mechanical recycling. In mechanical recycling, recyclable materials like paper, glass or plastic are chopped or ground up into small pieces that are then reconstructed into a new product. However, chemical recycling (sometimes called advanced recycling or molecular recycling) is an umbrella term for a suite of technologies that use non-mechanical processes (like heat, pressure, and/or chemicals) to break down plastics and turn them into different materials like fuels, oil and gas. 

Chemical recycling technologies are often presented as solutions to the growing plastic pollution crisis and the low and stagnant recycling rate for plastics. However, chemical recycling harms the environment and communities and should not be seen as the answer to the growing plastic pollution crisis.

The Problem

Chemical recycling is energy-intensive, releases harmful toxic pollution and fails to address the root cause of plastic pollution: overproduction of and reliance on single-use plastics. Furthermore, since these technologies turn plastics into other materials instead of turning them back into new plastic products, this perpetuates our need to continue to use fossil fuels to produce new plastic products, putting our environment and communities at risk.

We need plastics recycling to work if we want to fix the ocean plastics crisis. But how we recycle matters and we should be supporting improvements to mechanical recycling, not investing in harmful chemical recycling technologies.

Learn more about chemical recycling:

• Defining What is Plastics Recycling and What is Not
• Breaking Down Chemical Recycling
• Blog: Why Bottle-to-Bottle Recycling Needs to be the Gold Standard
• Blog: How Much Plastic Do Mealworms Really Eat?
• Watch Ocean Conservancy on PBS’ Energy Switch to learn more about the importance of recycling right to help the plastic pollution crisis

More about Ocean Conservancy’s work on chemical recycling:

• Webinar: Chemical Recycling – It’s Not What You Think It Is
• Statement: Omnibus Includes Victories on Fisheries Management, Against Chemical Recycling
• Learn more about chemical recycling in SB 54

The Solution

Focusing on chemical recycling or any other single solution as a “quick fix” to the plastic pollution crisis risks delaying the systemic changes needed to address this problem. While it won’t be easy, we know the steps we need to take and have the policy tools in place to work toward a solution.

1. Make fewer plastics.
2. Hold plastic producers accountable for better managing their wasteful products.
3. Continue targeted clean ups.

Ocean Conservancy’s position on chemical recycling

Ocean Conservancy does not presently support any form of chemical recycling. In its current form, chemical recycling does not contribute to a circular plastics economy and creates environmental and social harm. We support systemic changes that focus on reducing plastic production, especially for the most common single-use plastics found polluting the ocean, and holding producers financially accountable for cleaning up the mess they make and investing in the circular economy.