Only 8.7% of Plastic Actually Gets Recycled
Seattle became a national poster child for recycling in the late 1980s. Reporters flew in to write about us. We were very proud of ourselves. Charlie Harger's grandparents sorted every bottle, can, and newspaper in their Wedgwood kitchen — and knew exactly where every bit of it went.
Six decades in, the national plastic recycling rate sits at 8.7%. Seattle buried some of its own recycled glass when Ardagh Glass Packaging closed in 2024. Washington just passed a Recycling Reform Act that quietly admits the system doesn't work — and the cost is landing on you. Charlie on what actually gets recycled, what doesn't, and why nobody will tell you what happens to what's in your bin.
Listen to Seattle's Morning News w/ Charlie Harger and Manda Factor every weekday at 5am on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM or go to MyNorthwest.com to learn more!
