How to fight California’s epic fail in plastics recycling
Your morning catch up: Fighting back against plastic pollution, the iconic LAX pylons are being removed and more big stories.
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Last week’s report on California’s abysmal plastics recycling rates made it clear that the state, and individual citizens, need to do more to reduce the amount of the waste going into landfills, streams, rivers and the ocean.
In the report, the state’s waste agency said items like yogurt containers, shampoo bottles and restaurant takeout trays are being recycled at rates only in the low single digits. Colored shampoo and detergent bottles, made from polyethylene, or #1 plastic, are getting recycled at a rate of just 5%. Even plastic water bottles that are presumably more recyclable are being turned into new products at just 16%.
My colleague Susanne Rust reported those findings last week and she and another expert explained to me — despite Californians dutiful use of blue recycling bins — why so little plastic actually gets turned into new products.
The primary reason is that it’s cheaper and easier for businesses to use new plastic, material that is mostly made out of oil and natural gas. “The plastics industry is pretty happy to continue flooding the market with new kinds of plastic and plastic packaging,” Rust told me.
But the haulers can’t find many places that want the discarded plastic items. “For materials such as polypropylene, milk cartons, plastic film and polystyrene — nobody wants it,” Rust said. There either aren’t plants available to convert the plastic into new items, or the market for those items is weak.
A local recycling facility closes its doors
Last fall, one of the few California-based plants that recycled plastic, rPlanet Earth of Vernon, closed down. It had recycled the plastic known as polyethylene terephthalate or PET, that is used for bottles and many other products. But according to Recycling Today, the company faced low demand for its products while competing against a surge of low-cost imported material and cheap, oversupplied virgin plastic.
Debbie Raphael, former head of the Department of Environment for the city of San Francisco, said the bleak recycling figures confirm that “the real answer is to avoid plastic to begin with” and to turn to recycling only as a “ last resort.”
Going forward, Raphael said our policies need to focus on:
• Incentivizing or requiring reduction through systems like reuse/refill for packaging and the use of non-plastic materials for anything. Taxing the bad, investing in the good — it’s not a new concept.
• Banning the use/sale of plastics unless the industry invests in and makes use of sorting (i.e. collection) and recycling technology. “This direct investment is critical,” Raphael said, “otherwise industry just bales the mixed plastic waste and ships it to other countries and then claims it’s recycled.”
Raphael noted that some California cities, like Berkeley, are requiring reusable food utensils when people are dining in. In San Francisco, large events and festivals now must offer reusable cups.
Research has clearly shown how the proliferation of plastics has fouled waterways and oceans, making sea creatures sick and threatening human health.
How Europe mandated recycling at McDonald’s
Corporations have not shown tremendous enthusiasm for the best alternatives — like reusable beverage containers or serving dishes. Raphael sent me a picture of the reusable containers that McDonald’s uses to deliver some of its food in Germany.
“McDonald’s did not do this out of some sense of moral or environmental responsibility, they were mandated to do it,” she told me. “And they are fighting tooth and nail to avoid having to do this in the U.S.” When the reuse policies were rolled out in Europe, McDonald’s representatives said they believed recycling could be more effective and ultimately less polluting.
But consumers can do their part to drive down use of plastics. I found that my dry cleaner (after a couple of reminders) will return clean shirts and laundry to me, without the plastic wrapping. I try to bring my own cup to my local coffee joint, rather than use one of their plastic-lined throwaways, seemingly always fitted with a plastic lid. At the supermarket, some items I want — like honey and fruit juice — can be found in glass containers.
Even at my local burger joint, part of a regional chain, the counter folks oblige when I ask them if I can just reuse the plastic cup I got on my last visit. (I keep it in my car.) When I first asked about my one-man recycling mission, they looked a little confused. But they caught on quickly. Just like all of us can.
Today’s top stories
The Supreme Court appears likely to strike down a California law on guns in stores and restaurants
- California and Hawaii are among five states with new laws that forbid carrying firearms onto private property without the consent of an owner or manager.
- But the Trump administration joined gun-rights advocates on Tuesday in urging the Supreme Court to strike down the laws as unconstitutional under the 2nd Amendment.
- Such a law “effectively nullifies licenses to carry arms in public,” Trump’s lawyers said.
Iconic LAX pylons are being removed. Here’s why
- The lighted pylons are being removed temporarily as part of a traffic improvement project.
- LAX’s Airfield and Terminal Modernization Program will reconfigure 4.4 miles of road and move cars previously queued along Sepulveda Boulevard onto dedicated, elevated roadways separate from local traffic.
- The roadways are expected to be open before the 2028 Summer Olympics, with full completion expected by 2030.
Anti-Trump protesters held a ‘Free America’ walkout in downtown L.A. and across SoCal
- The walkout across Southern California on Tuesday opposed Trump’s ICE raids, military presence in cities and attacks on transgender rights.
- It took place during work and school hours to demonstrate how labor and participation are often taken for granted.
- Rallies across downtown L.A., Pasadena, Long Beach and Santa Monica included student walkouts, with dozens from East L.A. high schools ditching class.
A lawsuit against LAUSD alleges ‘overt discrimination’ against white students
- A group sued LAUSD claiming the district discriminates against white students by allocating more resources to schools where at least 70% of students are nonwhite.
- The lawsuit alleges that students in the targeted schools receive benefits that include smaller class sizes and that they also receive preferential treatment for entry into sought-after magnet programs.
- Critics of the lawsuit say the programs were established to address decades of discrimination in underresourced schools.
What else is going on
- Gov. Newsom calls global leaders “pathetic” for Trump complicity.
- Netflix amends its Warner Bros. deal to all cash in bidding war.
- California exceeds its clean car goal despite declining federal support.
- Copper thefts turned these upscale L.A. streets pitch dark. Frustrated residents are fighting back.
- Why a 4-year-old is getting death threats over NFL predictions.
- Timothy Busfield, the Emmy-winning actor known for “The West Wing” and “Thirtysomething,” has secured a legal victory in his child sex abuse case.
Commentary and opinions
- Yes, you’re paying for Trump’s tariffs, and the price is going up, writes columnist Michael Hiltzik.
- California is suffering truth decay. Sacramento needs to do something about it, argues columnist Mark Z. Barabak.
- Trump’s globalist era is going to make everyone poorer, writes columnist Jonah Goldberg.
This morning’s must read
Why does San Diego lead California in apartment construction?
Other must reads
- Why the Rams will beat Seattle and go on to win the Super Bowl.
- Fed up with perimenopause or menopause? The We Do Not Care Club is here for you.
- Female directors remain scarce in Hollywood. This mentorship program aims to change that.
- A coyote made an astonishing swim to Alcatraz — the start of a prison-island pack? We asked experts.
For your downtime
Going out
- Comedy festival: Netflix is a Joke Fest 2026 reveals star-studded lineup including Ali Wong, Bill Burr, Nikki Glaser and more.
- Shopping: As Gen Z turns to thrifting, a Melrose Avenue shop finds success in influencers’ overflowing closets.
- Travel: It’s time to explore Big Bear beyond the slopes. Here are 9 things to do in the cozy alpine town.
Staying in
- Books: Two new novels capitalize on the 100th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe’s birth — one is brilliant, the other is a dud.
- Recipe: Here’s a recipe for The Café 2001 Green Pea and Potato Salad.
- ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and jigsaw games.
A question for you: What’s your biggest recycling gripe?
Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.
And finally ... your photo of the day
Today’s great photo is from Times photographer Kayla Bartkowski at the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade in South Los Angeles.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Jim Rainey, staff reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com. Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com.
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