Georgia Howe

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Starbucks recently promoted its cold drink cups as widely recyclable, but an investigation by the environmental group Beyond Plastics decided to test that claim.

Instead, many wound up in landfills, incinerators, or sorting centers where recycling often stops.

The report is fueling a bigger question.

Is America's recycling system delivering what people think it is?

I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire executive editor John Bickley, and this is a weekend episode of Morning Wire.

Joining us now is Ken LaCourte, investigative journalist, former Fox News executive, and creator of the YouTube channel Elephants in Rooms.

Ken, thanks for coming on.

Now, when you see a story like this Starbucks investigation where something is marketed as recyclable but apparently isn't being recycled, what's your reaction?

Now, why do so many people, including people who know the facts, still feel guilty throwing plastic in the trash?

Now, your reporting makes a distinction between recycling in general and plastic recycling specifically.

So why is plastic such a different story?

Now, when Americans put plastic in a recycling bin, what often happens to it after it leaves the United States?

Now, one of the more surprising arguments you make is that modern landfills aren't the boogeyman environmental disaster that many people are imagining.

Why do you say that?

Now, after all this research you did for this project, what changed most about the way you personally think about your recycling?

Well, Ken, this is disappointing news for a lot of people to hear, but probably important to have transparency around the issue.

Thank you so much for coming on.