Chemical Recycling Could Turn Single-Use Plastic Issue Around

A plant in Portland, Ore., that uses chemicals to recycle plastic could be a game changer for the entire recycling industry, according to an article on the CBS News website.

Chemical recycling breaks down plastic to the molecular level. It is then turned into a usable pellet.

At the Agilyx plant, almost all of the plastic it processes can be reused an infinite number of times. It recently started processing styrofoam, too. 

Currently, 91 percent of the plastic tossed in recycling bins can't be recycled, the article said. Anything dirty or contaminated by food usually gets sent to a landfill.

Plastic producers are starting to address the problem, too. Coca-Cola, which said it produces 3 million tons of plastic each year, plans to create packaging made of at least 50 percent recycled material by 2030, in part using chemical recycling.

The Coca Cola Foundation also recently announced that it is giving about $4.15 million to the Recycling Partnership, a national nonprofit group that uses corporate funding to help develop recycling infrastructure. The Partnership is using those funds to help improve recycling.

The effort will begin in Atlanta with a "feet on the street" campaign that deploys city employees and temporary workers to check curb-side household recycling bins for contaminated items.