Debunking Myths & Presenting Facts

Robert Dishman
Cyclyx International, LLC

Currently, post-use plastics are recycled at a global rate of less than 10%. At Cyclyx, we aim to change the narrative by increasing the recyclability of plastic materials from 10% to 90%. We are doing this by building new supply chains for hard-to-recycle plastics—such as films, foams, and other unnumbered plastics— and supporting the development of necessary infrastructure to sort and process post-use plastics. 

Plastic Recycling Week gives us the opportunity to correct some misconceptions about plastic recycling and collection. 

Misconception: All plastics collected by recycling programs are just being sent to landfills 

In the past, due to the complex nature of the different types of plastics and the insufficient infrastructure to manage these complexities, the recycling rate of some plastics has been low. Many legacy Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) lack the infrastructure and/or space to sort the wide range of plastics used every day in our homes and businesses. Cyclyx and our Consortium Members understand the need for enhanced collection, and we are developing the infrastructure required to support effective processing of all plastics. Our 10to90^® programs drive collaboration with municipalities, retail establishments, corporations, and universities to enact scalable, community-focused solutions with an aim to accelerate plastic recycling—locally in the short term, with a goal to impact global recycling rates in the long term.  

In the past, due to the complex nature of the different types of plastics and the insufficient infrastructure to manage these complexities, the recycling rate of some plastics has been low. Many legacy Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) lack the infrastructure and/or space to sort the wide range of plastics used every day in our homes and businesses. Cyclyx and our Consortium Members understand the need for enhanced collection, and we are developing the infrastructure required to support effective processing of all plastics. Our 10to90^® programs drive collaboration with municipalities, retail establishments, corporations, and universities to enact scalable, community-focused solutions with an aim to accelerate plastic recycling—locally in the short term, with a goal to impact global recycling rates in the long term.

Misconception: Mixed plastics cannot be collected together 

While many recycling collection programs have guidelines and restrictions about what plastic is accepted, our 10to90 collection programs in Houston eliminate confusion on what is acceptable.  

Cyclyx’s unique ability to chemically characterize and profile mixed plastic waste streams enables us to understand and custom compound the materials, so the collected plastic waste is delivered to our downstream recycling partners for its best and highest use. Recycling technologies today, including advanced recycling, are leveraged to process a wide range of previously uncollected and complex plastics, transforming them to their molecular building blocks for use in making virgin-equivalent products. 

Misconception: Contaminated plastic cannot be recycled 

The chemical composition of plastic materials varies widely, and contamination is inconsistent and often unpredictable, which is why traditional recycling operations are selective in the materials they accept. To combat this challenge, Cyclyx purposefully built the Circularity Lab to conduct testing of the chemical and physical properties of plastic materials. This enables us to better understand the variability and complexity of contaminated plastic materials to meet customer specifications in a novel way.  

This service unlocks the potential to divert more post-use plastics—even those initially deemed too contaminated for consideration—from landfills, incineration, or the environment, and reroute them towards existing and new recycling pathways. Contrary to the myth that contaminated plastic waste has only one destination—landfills—Cyclyx’s unique science-based innovations and solutions enable us to accept all-plastics into our stream. To my knowledge, no other company currently possesses this capability. 

This capability was well exemplified during an October 2024 litter cleanup conducted by PLASTICS’ Future Leaders in Plastics group. Mismanaged plastic waste was collected from Woodland Park in Houston, Texas, and given to Cyclyx to put on a recycling pathway.  

To learn how Cyclyx can help your organization with its plastic waste, email [email protected]. 

Robert Dishman is the Vice President of Strategic Relationships at Cyclyx International, LLC. With an environmental services career spanning over 25 years, Mr. Dishman has led organizations to great success through collection, processing, plastic manufacturing, recycling, and environmental services.