Shell’s Latest Feat: Quietly Ditching Its Eco-Friendly Recycling Pledge

Posted by John Donovan 17 July 2024

In the latest chapter of Shell’s never-ending saga of environmental hypocrisy, the oil giant has decided to backtrack on its grandiose promise to save the planet by recycling plastic waste. Back in 2022, Shell boldly claimed it would convert a whopping 1 million tonnes of plastic waste into oil every year through “advanced recycling.” Now, it turns out this pledge was about as solid as a politician’s promise.

“Advanced” or “chemical” recycling—just fancy terms for breaking down plastic with heat—was Shell’s supposed answer to the plastics pollution crisis. The company started investing in this pyrolysis process back in 2019, even using the resultant oil in a Louisiana plant and declaring its ambition to recycle 1 million tonnes of plastic by 2025. But as of their 2023 sustainability report, Shell quietly confessed: “[I]n 2023 we concluded that the scale of our ambition to turn 1m tonnes of plastic waste a year into pyrolysis oil by 2025 is unfeasible.”

In case you’re wondering if Shell shouted this from the rooftops, think again. They slid this little nugget into their report without much fanfare. When asked about it, Shell spokesperson Curtis Smith said, “Our ambition, regardless of regulation, is to increase circularity and move away from a linear economy to one where products and materials are reused, repurposed and recycled.” Translation: “We still want to look good without actually doing much.”

Davis Allen, an investigative researcher at the Center for Climate Integrity, described the rollback as “significant,” noting it’s an acknowledgment that advanced recycling isn’t the magical solution it’s been hyped up to be. In fact, it’s often more polluting and energy-intensive than traditional recycling. Who would’ve guessed that setting fire to plastic might not be the greenest option?

Shell blames the market, citing “lack of available feedstock, slow technology development and regulatory uncertainty.” This is particularly rich coming from a company that operates in a world awash with plastic waste. It turns out pyrolysis works best with clean, homogeneous plastics, not the mixed mess of consumer waste. Cleaning and sorting plastic is expensive, so most facilities rely on industrial scrap—essentially the leftovers from manufacturing.

Allen pointed out that the issues with advanced recycling aren’t new and that Shell “maybe should have seen [them] coming.” Apparently, even Shell’s crystal ball was a bit murky on this one. Judith Enck from Beyond Plastics added that advanced recycling facilities in the U.S. often underperform or shut down altogether.

Despite this about-face on recycling, Shell hasn’t slowed its plastic production. It recently opened a massive chemical complex in Pittsburgh capable of producing 1.6 million tonnes of plastic annually. Meanwhile, the American Chemistry Council, which Shell is still part of, continues to push the narrative that advanced recycling will solve all our plastic woes.

So, Shell’s grand recycling ambition has turned out to be just another empty promise. But hey, at least they’re good at producing plastic—and pollution.

Disclaimer: This platform operates as a non-commercial, advert-free, and subscription-free space. We do not accept donations and aim to provide information to our readers free of charge. Our content, including images and the Sheldon chatbot feature, incorporates information generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and various other technological means. Additionally, we may draw from sources such as Wikipedia and other published materials. It’s important to note that the content presented on this platform may include satirical adaptations derived from previously published sources. While we strive to maintain factual accuracy, we infuse elements of satire to engage and entertain our audience. Should any individual or entity find factual inaccuracies in our content, we encourage them to notify us promptly for rectification. We value accuracy and aim to address any discrepancies swiftly. Content may include gossip, rumours or exaggeration. Readers are therefore advised to verify all information for accuracy and completeness independently. Any actions taken based on the content provided on our platform are at your own risk.

 

 

 

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, shellnews.net, and shellwikipedia.com, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.