How to deal with the waste generated by the half-billion metric tonnes of plastic manufactured each year? One approach is to consume fewer polymers, recycle them more, and stop the rest from getting into the natural environment. Another is to declare the whole process a scam, and hope the problem will somehow go away of its own accord.

Faced with a seemingly intractable dilemma, the latter approach is tempting. Fixing things is hard; assigning blame far easier. Such a strategy is unlikely to change much, however.