From bottles to danger, a look at the dark side of recycling

Hey, band of knowledge! Get ready for a dose of chemical reality with me, your guide in the STEAM world! So, imagine this: scientists put on their research glasses and ventured out to examine those recycled plastic pellets floating around 13 countries. What did they find? Surprise! A festival of toxic chemicals, such as pesticides and even pharmaceuticals. No kidding, we’re talking about a chemical parade! As it turns out, those recycled plastics aren’t exactly the crown jewel for most applications-in fact, scientists are saying they’re a roadblock on the way to that circular economy we all want.

Where does this news come from? Ah, just from a study led by the eggheads at the University of Gothenburg, they scrambled the data and discovered that plastic recycling pellets in 13 different countries (yes, they’re everywhere) are more loaded with chemicals than a science fiction movie. Now, get ready for international drama: scientists, environmental advocates and other heroes are traveling to Nairobi, Kenya, to talk about it all at a meeting on plastics, urging delegates to open their eyes to the latest scientific findings. All plastics, yes, all plastics, are basically like chemical sponges that absorb everything around them, so forget about safe, circular plastics, they are like unicorns in the world of chemistry!

Professor Bethanie Carney Almroth of the University of Gothenburg drops the bombshell: “Plastic recycling has been the touted star for solving the pollution crisis, but those toxic chemicals complicate the whole issue!” It’s not as simple as putting plastics in a magic machine and voila, problem solved. And what do the numbers tell us? More than 600 chemical compounds identified! Those plastic recycling pellets are like an explosive cocktail of pesticides and other chemical toys. Ah, but here comes the exciting twist: few regulations, messy international trade, and more than 13,000 chemicals used in plastics, a quarter of them classified as hazardous! Researchers warn us that chemicals in plastics are a risk not only to recyclers but to all of us, so before recycling is the hero of the story, the plastics industry needs to bring order to this chemical party. And so, boys and girls, we end this chemical roller coaster. See you next time, STEAM explorers!