Greenpeace research estimates that only around 5 percent of the plastic waste produced in the United States in 2021 was recycled. In total, 51 million tons of plastics were discarded by Americans during the year, and 95 percent of that waste was scattered into oceans, the atmosphere, and landfills. This is believed to be partially due to the plastics that are being produced. Not all plastics can be recycled, and the amount of these traditionally unrecycleable plastics accounts for a majority of the plastics American produce and use.
