The over-consumption of plastic, especially single-use plastic products, has proven to be extremely harmful to Earth’s environment. And since we don’t really have a back-up planet, activists, including celebrities, are getting louder and louder when it comes to speaking about the importance of recycling plastic. Celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio and Emma Watson have always been the voice of our planet and have spoken about the importance of preserving the world.
Now, Elon Musk is coming for everyone who is a staunch believer of recycling plastic. Known for his brilliant entrepreneurial mind and raw opinions, the genius billionaire behind SpaceX, Tesla, and more, has revealed his personal judgment when it comes to recycling plastic.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Emma Watson’s beliefs and actions
Leonardo DiCaprio has always been extremely vocal about the harsh effects of climate change and has made moves to save the planet. In fact, his entire reason behind endorsing Kamala Harris for this U.S. election was because he believed she’d bring in policies that could counter climate change.
He once posted on his Facebook page, talking about plastic pollution and how it’s a global issue. In his post, he stated how the ordeal was “killing wildlife, contaminating our oceans and waterways, and lasting far longer than it is used.”
He demanded Congress pass the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act and urged citizens to sign a petition for the same.
DiCaprio has also invested in ID Genève, a watch brand whose products are made after recycling plastic. Based on sustainable practices, the company dreams of turning the luxury industry around.
Meanwhile, Emma Watson’s Met Gala outfit for 2016 was made entirely out of sustainable material. The body was created with different fabrics, all woven from yarns made from recycled plastic bottles (via Harper’s Bazaar).
On Facebook, the actress rightfully called plastic “one of the biggest pollutants on the planet” and stated how her unique gown proves there’s a way to defeat plastic pollution after all.
Why Elon Musk doesn’t share the same beliefs
Despite the attention plastic is getting from environmentalists and those simply looking out for Mother Nature, Elon Musk does not believe that recycling plastic is anything of use.
A couple of years ago, the nonprofit environmental organization, Greenpeace, made a bold claim calling plastic recycling a “dead end street.” They stated how everything from paper to metals can be recycled at high rates but when it comes to plastic, it “continues to be trash.”
According to their report (2021), U.S. households alone generate 51 million tons of plastic waste and only 2.4 million of it gets recycled – less than 5%.
Citing this piece by Greenpeace, television presenter John Stossel posted a tweet debunking the “recycling religion.” To this, Musk simply replied, “Recycling is pointless.”
Recycling is pointless https://t.co/vQZrnsHrVr
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 13, 2024
The entrepreneur gave no further elaboration on why he believes so but we are pretty sure his opinion would not be appreciated by celebrities who have always been so vocal about the benefits of recycling.
