Recycling plastic is a total bust, industry critics say

Americans' use of plastic boomed during the pandemic, including mountains of single-use items such as takeout containers, plastic bags and, of course, face masks. At the same time, we're recycling less of this waste than in the past, according to a pair of recent studies.

Even before the health crisis, only 5% of plastic made in the U.S. was recycled in 2019 — less than the amount of plastic that was burned that year, scientists with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory wrote in April. 

"It is dismally low," said Judith Enck, president of advocacy group Beyond Plastics of the nation's recycling rate.