Dharna Noor

Producers promoted chemical recycling – processes used to break plastics into tiny molecules – but knew of limitations

Plastic producers have pushed “advanced recycling” as a salve to the plastic waste crisis despite knowing for years that it is not a technically or economically feasible solution, a new report argues.

Advanced recycling, also known as chemical recycling, refers to a variety of processes used to break plastics into tiny molecules. The industry has increasingly promoted these technologies, as public concern about the environmental and health concerns of plastic pollution have grown. Yet the rollout of these technologies has been plagued by problems, found the new analysis from the fossil-fuel accountability advocacy group the Center for Climate Integrity (CCI).

Territory’s voluntary move comes as Trump administration makes good on pledge to end lawsuits against oil and gas

Puerto Rico has voluntarily dismissed its 2024 climate lawsuit against big oil, a Friday legal filing shows, just two days after the US justice department sued two states over planned litigation against oil companies for their role in the climate crisis.

Puerto Rico’s lawsuit, filed in July, alleged that the oil and gas giants had misled the public about the climate dangers associated with their products. It came as part of a wave of litigation filed by dozens of US states, cities and municipalities in recent years.