This article rant on the imperfect nature of our current solutions for plastic, ignore part of the problems (like the floating island of plastics...) and doesn't provide any alternative solution.
We need to change the behaviour of companies wrapping everything in plastic. I do not see that happening soon, and am not sure how to encourage them to do so (plastic is so cheap).
If things disposed of in garbage bins somehow end up in the pacific, plastic isn't the problem, but whatever scandalously corrupt process lets that happen.
The article focused on fundamental problems with plastic recycling and specifically focused on the root causes of the floating island of plastics. Rant is an unusual term to apply to a rational, reasoned, and thoughtful analysis of a hard problem where the superficially "obvious" solutions are demonstrably ineffective and counter effective.
The article also doesn't really attempt to demonstrate that the alternative of using less plastic is ineffective, although that might be true; a mocking aside about syringes, which are obviously not at the top of anybody's list for replacement, is not a demonstration.
We've lived through very different past few decades if you think environmentalists were not also advocates of plastic recycling, alongside the petrochemical industry. I fully agree that plastic recycling is greenwashing, but plastic recycling is greenwashing that 99% of environmentalists bought into and championed with gusto. Recycling plastic sounds like a great idea, it just doesn't happen to be a viable idea. That's a very hard message for most environmentalists to hear.
> The group’s overall policy remains delusional—the report proposes a far more harmful alternative to recycling—but it’s nonetheless encouraging to see environmentalists put aside their obsessions long enough to contemplate reality.