수십 년 분리수거 했는데..."플라스틱 재활용은 사기극" / YTN

[Anchor] To address the exponential increase in plastic production and the resulting pollution, humanity has long pursued recycling policies. However, criticism has surfaced that the claim of plastic recycling is a hoax concocted by manufacturers, sparking the first lawsuit. This is reporter Yu Tu-kwon reporting. [Reporter] Approximately one million tons of plastic waste is produced worldwide every day, but only 9% is recycled. The remaining waste, abandoned or incinerated, ultimately ends up infiltrating the human body. [Professor Costas Velis, University of Leeds, UK: Microplastics exist in all aspects of our environment—in soil, water, drinking water, food, and even the air we breathe.] There is a fundamental reason for the low rate of plastic recycling even in developed countries. First, it has been confirmed that sorting thousands of types of plastic is nearly impossible. Even when sorting is successful, it is often abandoned due to the presence of chemical additives and colorants. For this reason, "chemical recycling," which breaks down plastics down to the raw material level, has recently been introduced, but it still has a long way to go. With the limitations of recycling becoming clear, plastic manufacturers have come under fire. They claim they have long known that recycling alone cannot solve plastic pollution, yet they have continued to deceive consumers. Finally, the US state of California has filed a lawsuit against ExxonMobil, the largest producer of disposable plastic materials. This is the first lawsuit related to plastic pollution, and if found liable, the damages could reach trillions of dollars. [Rob Bonta, California Attorney General: ExxonMobil has known the truth about plastic pollution and recycling since the 1970s. Yet, they continue to publicly promote the myth that plastic recycling is the answer.] ExxonMobil strongly objected, claiming they are shifting blame for policy failures, and warned of a fierce legal battle. This is YTN's YoutuKwon. Video Editing: Han Kyung-hee YTN YouTuber ([email protected]) ※ 'Your Report Becomes News' [KakaoTalk] Search for YTN and add the channel [Phone] 02-398-8585 [Email] [email protected] ▶ Original article: https://www.ytn.co.kr/_ln/0104_202410... ▶ Report: https://mj.ytn.co.kr/mj/mj_write.php ▣ Subscribe to YTN YouTube Channel: http://goo.gl/Ytb5SZ ⓒ YTN. Unauthorized reproduction, redistribution, and use of AI data are prohibited.