PHILADELPHIA — Only 5% to 6% of the 46 million tons of plastic waste generated annually in the U.S. gets recycled, a big dip from the last estimate of nearly 9% just a few years ago, according to a new study by two environmental groups focused on creating awareness around plastic pollution.
The report was released Wednesday, the day New Jersey's ban on single-use carryout bags went into effect, which one of the authors, Judith Enck, said would bring near immediate change for the state.
"A lot of laws get put into place, and it takes years to see an effect," said Enck, a former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency official and current visiting professor at Bennington College in Vermont. "You will see literally in the next few months less litter, like bags in trees and on streets, because of the New Jersey plastic bag law. There's going to be a visible difference."
