— By Andru Shively — 

With great power comes great responsibility. Looking at recycling, we’ve already seen how the forces of social media can be used for good. But there are two sides to every well-spent coin. From paid influencers on TikTok and Instagram to PR appearances at the Olympics and plastics shows on TV, the National Association for PET Container Resources (Napcor) in the US is pulling out all the stops to present the mighty plastic bottle as a recycling miracle.

Between 2019 and 2023, Napcor reportedly spent USD 1.8 mn (EUR 1.7 mn) on its pro-PET campaign, branded as Positively PET and with deliberate omission of the trade association’s name. The message: every plastic drinking container is part of a zero-waste closed loop. The reality: in the US, the recycling rate for PET bottles is dismal at less than 30% – the rest at best ends up in a bin somewhere, fated for incineration or landfill.

Related: US PET circular market woefully lacking

Napcor’s invisible influence shows why a number of industry associations have accumulated so much ill will: marketing at the highest levels to influence public opinion and politics, glossy campaigns and hashtag propaganda instead of genuine recycling… and consumer trust? Tossed to the kerb.