Why Recycled Materials Don’t Always Generate Greener Products

Companies are increasingly facing pressure from stakeholders, external and internal, to decarbonize their operations and mitigate their impact on climate change. But without a rigorous global system for carbon accounting, such pressure can feel more rhetorical than substantive, as companies are, at times, goaded to “go green,” become “net zero,” or embrace “the circular economy.” These terms have no well-established definitions, so they can become veils for stakeholders to drive ideological agendas unrelated to decarbonization or for companies themselves to engage in greenwashing.