"Revelations by a watchdog group reinforce doubts about chemical recycling, a technology promoted by the city in a collaboration with ExxonMobil and other companies."

"HOUSTON — The message on the signs at the recycling drop-off site here was clear, and warmly welcomed by area residents who visited on a recent autumn Saturday to stuff bags of plastic waste into large green metal containers.

“All plastic, all numbers, all symbols,” proclaims one sign at the recycling site in Houston’s suburban Kingwood community, referring to the seven standard types of plastics, commonly identified on a plastic product by a number inside a “chasing arrows” icon. “Bag it and bring it,” reads another.

Normally, recycling programs limit what kinds of plastic they accept, ruling out types that are difficult if not impossible to recycle. So Ken White, a resident of Kingwood, a leafy master-planned community known as “the livable forest,” was taking full advantage of the opportunity on that sunny morning.

Bag by bag, he was tossing “everything that is plastic” into bins bearing the names of the Houston Recycling Collaboration, ExxonMobil and three other companies. “Styrofoam. Plastic bottles. Plastic wrap. Bubble wrap,” White said with a grin of appreciation. “It’s great. I hate just throwing it away if it can be reused.”"

James Bruggers reports for Inside Climate News November 1, 2023. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"The Missing Equations at ExxonMobil’s Advanced Recycling Operation" (Inside Climate News) [3]