The ubiquity of plastic may be inescapable, but chemical recycling, AI-driven sorting, and local recycling plants are shaping the future of waste management.
There is this common idea: let’s remove plastic from our lives. Impossible. Honestly speaking, it’s impossible. Not because I’m a big fan of DuPont—no—but because our life has been built around plastics.
With President Trump rolling back environmental protections, plastic production is at an all-time high, and logistical and ethical issues around recycling abound, industries and governments alike face issues balancing resource scarcity and environmental sustainability.
We spoke with Samuele Barrili, owner of MiM Marketing Interim Managers, to discuss his perspective on plastics and the future state of recycling.
The ubiquity of plastics: “There is this common idea: let’s remove plastic from our lives. Impossible. Honestly speaking, it’s impossible. Not because I’m a big fan of DuPont—no—but because our life has been built around plastics,” says Barrili. MiM helps waste management companies execute growth strategies across multiple industries and disciplines.
Barrili underscores the reality of modern life—one chock-full of plastics. “We wear clothes that use plastics. We wear everything that has plastic. Even some wooden chairs have plastics in the middle, because it holds the structure.”
Despite widespread recycling efforts, the world produces over 380 million tons of plastic every year, and less than 10% is recycled. Some industries are now turning to chemical recycling, which breaks down plastics into their base components for reuse in new products.
The role of AI in recycling: “Artificial intelligence is already a driver in the recycling industry. We are able to separate materials with belts, with lenses, with eyes that detect materials. AI is already arriving at the point where it can determine what type of process a material needs,” Barrili explains. Artificial intelligence is poised to transform waste management, making recycling more efficient by improving sorting and reducing contamination.
Big companies like Waste Management, Republic Services, and others still rely on landfills. Even if they have recycling programs, their advantage is that they own the landfills. It’s easier for them to keep using landfills rather than create facilities that separate and process raw materials.
The future of recycling is local: By establishing local recycling plants, communities can reduce their reliance on imported materials, lower energy costs, and create jobs. “If the waste management market understands that the opportunity is super big—considering the daily consumption of materials and goods in the U.S.—there is an opportunity to build something new, to launch local recycling facilities,” Barrili explains. “Small companies should be the promoters of this new approach. They have an opportunity to build something incredible and create wealth for entire communities.”
Barrili remains skeptical of large waste management corporations, which still rely heavily on landfills. “Big companies like Waste Management, Republic Services, and others still rely on landfills. Even if they have recycling programs, their advantage is that they own the landfills. It’s easier for them to keep using landfills rather than create facilities that separate and process raw materials.” With innovative technologies, regulatory changes, and localized efforts, the recycling industry is at a turning point—one that could determine how resources are managed for decades to come.
