Hi Reader,

As the global climate crisis grows more urgent by the day, more and more corporations are being called to take responsibility for their environmental impacts. Plastic has been accumulating in our landfills, our waterways and our bodies for decades, even as the corporations that produce it are promising reform. But it is not always clear whether their proposals will make a difference, or whether they are simply  “greenwashing.” ProPublica is digging deep into this question, demanding transparency and accountability from some of the planet’s biggest polluters.  

ProPublica reporter Lisa Song has been investigating the false promises of a “chemical recycling” process called pyrolysis. It’s heralded as nothing short of a miracle by the plastics industry. But underneath all the math and engineering, Song found little more than a number shuffle, done only on paper, that inflates the advertised recycledness of one product by reducing the advertised recycledness of another, often less lucrative, product. Done purely for marketing, the promise of pyrolysis has been criticized by environmentalists as a greenwashing tactic. And Song shows that in fact, not much is being recycled at all, nor is pyrolysis capable of curbing the plastic crisis. Not now. Maybe not ever. After ProPublica published the story, the Environmental Protection Agency took the first-ever federal action against the controversial accounting method that misleads consumers on this issue.

Song reached out to several companies to ask how much new plastic their processes actually yield, and none provided numbers. The American Chemistry Council, the nation’s largest plastic lobby, told her that because so many factors impact a company’s yield, it’s impossible to estimate that number for the entire industry. In the wake of this story, and the EPA’s rule change, companies seeking to qualify their products for the agency’s Safer Choice standard will need to do their math differently. 

As Song’s stories show, climate solutions put forward by the industries shaping how we live demand scrutiny. An independent press is the most powerful tool we have to hold corporations accountable. As a nonprofit, ProPublica is free from corporate or political influences. We are powered by donations, and no one tells us what to do. We are able to investigate and report on our findings without external pressure — crucial for factual journalism that holds powerful corporations accountable. 

Donations from readers like you have made ProPublica one of the largest independent investigative newsrooms in the country. Stand with ProPublica, and help us unearth even more stories on corporations trying to reckon with profits and climate change. Our reporters have the freedom and resources to pursue wrongdoing because we have the backing of readers and donors like you.

Help us continue this critical work by joining us today with your donation of any amount. Journalism for the people is also powered by the people, and we’re counting on you.

Thanks so much, 

Jill Shepherd

Proud ProPublican