Ep. 353: Recycling: Have We been SCAMMED?!

Who convinced us that the fate of the world rests on our personal recycling habits? Does it even make a difference? Melissa Valliant serves as the communications director at Beyond Plastics, a nationwide environmental advocacy group. In this episode, Melissa shares how recycling isn't just imperfect, but a decades-old PR strategy engineered by the same fossil fuel, petrochemical, and consumer goods giants that profit from plastic production. You’ll hear the war origins of the plastics boom, who quietly bankrolled the Keep America Beautiful campaign & the logistical reasons that only 5-6% of everything you carefully sort actually makes it to recycling. She also covers the real bottom line on what will move the needle as well as how to keep your family healthy from the chemicals leaching from plastic. If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 140: CAN HAIR SAVE THE WORLD? OIL, OTTERS & HAIR MATS Guest:https://www.beyondplastics.org/act https://a.co/d/00KBkQjw https://www.instagram.com/beyondplastics/https://www.facebook.com/beyondplasticsaction  Sponsors: https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/  2:17 – Plastic's Wartime Origins6:56 – Keep America Beautiful's Secret Founders8:35 – Only 6% Actually Gets Recycled11:48 – The Chasing Arrows Con12:48 – The Gar-Barge That Woke Us Up14:29 – Deconstructing a Recycling Religion17:39 – Are Bottle Caps Recyclable19:01 – Wish-Cycling and Corporate Gaslighting21:11 – California's Plastic Bag Loophole23:02 – When Companies Fake Caring26:55 – Busting Starbucks' Recycling Claims29:07 – Advanced Recycling Isn't Advanced31:06 – Proving Environmental Racism33:06 – Exxon Sued Over Recycling Lies34:38 – Would Banning Plastic Backfire38:18 – Industry-Funded Studies Exposed42:56 – The Human Health Turn45:24 – Kicking Plastic Out of Schools46:37 – The Secret Fourth R47:55 – Rotisserie Chickens and Leaching Heat50:34 – Real Swaps for Your Kitchen53:57 – How to Deprogram YourselfRequest to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/Follow me in all the places:https://www.meredithforreal.com/  https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/ [email protected]://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert