We’ve all heard it since kindergarten: “Reduce, reuse, recycle.” A great mantra, but not quite enough anymore, and really, it never was. Recycling, while well-intentioned, is often co-opted by corporations as a form of greenwashing that shifts responsibility onto consumers while avoiding real systemic change.

Currently, the majority of recycling is thrown in with the trash. In the US, only 32% of materials that are "recycled" actually end up going through the process of being recycled. In Boston, this number falls to 19% , and globally, a staggering 9-10% .

Locally, at Boston College, trash and recycling bins are set out at each catered event, encouraging people to use them properly. However, working at the school, I observed that the trash and recycling just get mixed together. This reveals how the appearance of sustainability is often more important than the actual impact, and how the public is made to feel guilty while larger powers are not pulling their share. Boston College is not the only institution to use recycling as a form of greenwashing — a way to appear morally responsible without making real changes. But seeing it firsthand was a disappointing moment, and it showed that a college that proclaimed to emphasize service and ethical development just wanted to put on a show for the people who filled their pockets. This experience made it clear that the current system of recycling is deeply flawed, and often just a feel-good illusion. Instead of relying on broken systems, we need to push for practices that actually make a difference, like reducing consumption and holding institutions accountable for their environmental claims.

Let's take it back to a different time in history, before we had the knowledge we possess today. Ironically, plastic was initially invented to try and reduce the level of negative impact humans had on the environment. Early versions of plastic were used to replace the ivory used in billiard balls, and, in theory, curb the risk posed to elephants due to the growing ivory demand in the 1860s. Fast-forward to the World Wars, and there was a massive demand for plastics to replace scarce materials like silk, rubber, and metal. This is when the world was introduced to new plastics like nylon and polyethylene. Polyethylene would go on to become the key material for items like shopping bags, plastic films, milk jugs, and shampoo bottles. Nylon was incorporated into things like ropes, food packaging, tires, toothbrushes, combs, and so much more. Soon, these items became a part of daily life.

The convenience and ease of plastic was undeniable, and still is. Advertisements for plastic highlighted its durability and affordability. The popularity of plastics reached an all-time high in the 1950s and ‘60s, particularly in 1956, when influential figures encouraged the plastics industry to shift campaign ads toward promoting “throwaway living” in an effort to boost sales. Coincidentally, the 1950s were also when scientists became aware of the detrimental effects of plastic pollution. This is when they first linked human-made chemicals to air pollution. They also started to notice plastic pollution in oceans around the same time that oil-based plastics became common in consumer goods. Unfortunately, the plastic industry is well aware of the harm they impose, and even more tragically, they have been aware of these implications since at least the beginning of the 1970s , and realistically, since the 1950s.

The public is becoming more and more aware of the facade that corporations hide behind; even so, the plastics industry continues to deny the severity and widespread impact of mass plastic pollution. This industry, in pursuit of financial gain, has opposed sustainable solutions, even going so far as to fight local regulations of disposable plastic products. They have, at times, acknowledged the problem, but they continue to shift blame onto public consumption and claim they can only be held accountable for small parts of waste while the rest is “beyond their control.”

By the 1960s and ‘70s, it was becoming abundantly clear that plastic was not as great a solution as it seemed. There was growing public concern about the overflow of waste in landfills, air pollution, visible litter in cities, water sources, and on highways. The scientific community continued to publish more findings about the negative effects of plastics and increase public awareness. On April 22nd, 1970, the US held its first-ever Earth Day. This is considered to be the spark that ignited environmental movements throughout the ‘70s. Then, in 1997, a mariner sailing from California to Hawaii discovered the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. At this point, the public could no longer turn a blind eye to the problem. This allowed for the issue of pollution to be viewed less abstractly and be seen for what it really is: a large-scale, tangible crisis that affects every living organism on the planet. It's important to acknowledge that although it took the world a long time to reach this point, this global shift in paradigm was a critical juncture.

As environmental awareness grew, millions of well-meaning people embraced the mantra to “reduce, reuse, and recycle.” They sorted their trash, bought reusable bags, and trusted that individual actions could help fix a global crisis. But what many don’t realize is that this sense of responsibility was never evenly distributed. The system was deliberately designed to make the public feel accountable for pollution, while the real power lies with the corporations that continue to produce waste on an industrial scale. Consumers are encouraged to feel guilty for using a plastic straw, while the companies producing billions of them face little to no consequences. In this way, good intentions are manipulated into a smokescreen — one that obscures the urgent need to hold corporations truly responsible.

As long as recycling remains the go-to symbol of sustainability, more ambitious and effective efforts risk being overlooked. But not all hope is lost. Small towns across the country have been pioneering grassroots refill programs that encourage and provide people with resources to refill things like food containers, cleaning supply bottles, and personal care items like shampoo and conditioner. Large-scale bans now exist on single-use plastics in major cities, and some grocery stores are piloting package-free shopping aisles, while the scientific community is working on biodegradable alternatives to traditional packaging.

Notably, there is growing momentum around Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws — policies that require manufacturers to take full accountability for the lifecycle of their products, including disposal and recycling. Unlike voluntary recycling initiatives, EPR makes corporations legally and financially responsible for the waste they produce, giving them a powerful incentive to reduce packaging and to design for reuse.

Here in Boston, Northeastern’s Husky Environmental Action Team has worked to expand sustainable practices beyond recycling. They created a sub-section of their club dedicated to creating better composting practices throughout Northeastern, and they achieved it! There are now composting bins all over campus. These changes don’t just shift behavior; they shift where the power lies. Real progress is happening, just not always in the spotlight.

This is by no means a call to abandon recycling; rather, it’s a call to see it for what it is: a small piece of a much larger puzzle. Recycling can still play a role, but it should no longer be the centerpiece of our environmental efforts. By spreading awareness about its limitations, we can begin to break the cycle of guilt and inaction that’s been unfairly placed on individuals. Real change means demanding more from the corporations that create the problem, supporting policies that hold them accountable, and amplifying the solutions that already exist but don’t get enough attention. If we can shift the narrative — and with it, the power — then a more sustainable future isn’t just possible, it’s within reach. Hope doesn’t lie in one blue bin; it lies in all of us pushing for something better.