Are you an avid recycler like Brandy Deason? Ever wondered where your carefully sorted plastics end up? Prepare to be surprised.
Brandy Deason, a dedicated recycler from Houston, decided to conduct an experiment by tracking an Apple device she threw in with her recycling. To her amazement, these trackers led her to Wright Waste Management, a place not exactly known for recycling plastic.
CBS News even dubbed her the “James Bond of plastic recycling” during an interview.
Deason was already skeptical of Houston’s new recycling program that claimed to accept plastic not usually recyclable. Her suspicions were confirmed when most bags with the Apple trackers ended up at Wright Waste Management.
Documents obtained by CBS News revealed that Wright Waste Management has failed fire safety inspections thrice and isn’t authorized to store plastic waste.
Drone footage showed piles of plastic waste towering over 10 feet high at the facility, prompting questions about its chaotic appearance and safety standards.
Houston’s Director of Solid Waste Management, Mark Wilfalk, acknowledged the city’s accumulation of 250 tons of plastic since the end of 2022, none of which has been recycled yet. The plan, for now, is to stockpile it and wait.
As concerns grow over the true fate of recyclable plastic, critics are calling out the plastics industry for fraudulent recycling practices.