If Evian sells its water in bottles made of 100% recycled plastic, that means 100% less plastic is entering the environment from Evian bottles than would otherwise.
Do you disagree?
Do you disagree?
"Recycled content" is defined as:
> materials that have been recovered or otherwise diverted from the waste stream, either during the manufacturing process (pre-consumer), or after consumer use (post-consumer)
And they do not have to inform consumers of this distinction:
> Recycled content claims may – but do not have to – distinguish between pre-consumer and post-consumer materials.
> Recycled content includes recycled raw material, as well as used, reconditioned, and re-manufactured components ... The term “used” refers to parts that are not new and that have not undergone any re-manufacturing or reconditioning.
Well, taking what was previously waste in the plastic manufacturing process and turning it into more plastic is better(?) than nothing. But I think most people would think of this more as "making plastic manufacturing more efficient" than "recycling plastic". It makes plastic manufacturing margins more profitable, as now what was waste has value. It means that "100% recycled plastic" still relies heavily on the production of virgin plastic.
If people who would have not bought plastic bottled water DO buy it because it is "100% recycled", then the satisfaction of that additional demand requires the production of virgin plastic. Even if the number of people buying Evian bottles doesn't change, Evian is still buying the results of plastic production from plastic factories, which is likely to increase the amount of plastic in the world.
Again, it's better than nothing. But it certainly isn't a silver bullet, and many would argue that it is still not sustainable.
Even if all plastic was recycled, there is still the issue of microplastics polluting our water and food supply.