NO SUCH THING

Growing up, we were told to always recycle plastic to save the planet. But does recycling actually do anything? In this special two-part investigation, we explore the history of recycling, the rise of “disposable” plastics, and find out how effective recycling actually is.
In part one (with the help of Nayeema Raza, host of Smart Girl Dumb Questions), we hear from Davis Allen, PhD, Senior Investigative Researcher at the Center for Climate Integrity, who alleges that plastic recycling is a deceptive story engineered by fossil fuel and petrochemical companies to make us feel guilty for using the very plastics they profit from. Davis says recycling is a distraction from the real problem.
Listen to part one: Apple, Spotify, Others
In part two, we visit a recycling center and speak to Kara Napolitano, Education Director at Circular Services to find out how recycling actually works, learn the amount of bottles that actually make it to the recycling facility, and reckon with our own individual impact to determine if recycling is a viable solution to our climate crisis or simply a feel-good placebo in an ever-expanding consumer culture.
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Growing up, we were told to always recycle plastic to save the planet. But does recycling actually do anything? In this special two-part investigation, we explore the history of recycling, the rise of “disposable” plastics, and find out how effective recycling actually is.
In part one (with the help of Nayeema Raza, host of Smart Girl Dumb Questions), we hear from Davis Allen, PhD, Senior Investigative Researcher at the Center for Climate Integrity, who alleges that plastic recycling is a deceptive story engineered by fossil fuel and petrochemical companies to make us feel guilty for using the very plastics they profit from. Davis says recycling is a distraction from the real problem.
In part two, we visit a recycling center and speak to Kara Napolitano, Education Director at Circular Services to find out how recycling actually works, learn the amount of bottles that actually make it to the recycling facility, and reckon with our own individual impact to determine if recycling is a viable solution to our climate crisis or simply a feel-good placebo in an ever-expanding consumer culture.
Listen to part two: Apple, Spotify, Others
For links to research and more, check out our newsletter.
Fill out our NST listener survey here.
Have a question you want us to answer? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at ‪(860) 325-0286
EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ http://www.nordvpn.com/nst
Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee


See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are we in the midst of a reading crisis? News outlets are constantly reporting on the death of reading. School test scores by measures like the “Nation’s Report Card” say math and literacy levels are down to their lowest rates since the early 1990s. Schools aren’t even assigning full books in class anymore. We talk to children’s book author Jason Reynolds, an active teacher in Chicago public schools, and a professor who’s looked into the actual research and says the literacy crisis doesn’t even exist.
Our guests this week are author Jason Reynolds (buy his new book Soundtrack here), professor Paul Thomas, and teacher Kelsey Clodfelter.
For links to research and more, check out our newsletter.
If you liked this episode, check out: Do audiobooks count as reading? and Should schools ban phones?
Have a question you want us to answer? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at ‪(860) 325-0286
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On today's episode of NO SUCH THING, Manny, Noah, and Devan, jump into the mailbag. Should you keep your eggs in the fridge? Why do some people sneeze so loudly? Where did we get the 24 hour day from? Why and how does medicine expire? And what's the traditional jelly in a PB&J: grape or strawberry?
ICYMI: Manny wrote a book and you can check it out here! It's called Colored People Time: A Case for (Casual) Rebellion, and it's a collection of essays about the ways that time wraps itself around our most personal moments.
Have a question you want us to answer? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at ‪(860) 325-0286.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we’re answering a question from a listener named Emma: What do those smiley-face customer-satisfaction buttons you see in airport bathrooms actually do?
We track down the Finland-based company behind them, HappyOrNot, and uncover a hidden world of analytics, cameras, and AI.
Our guest this week is Scott Erickson, HappyOrNot’s VP of US Sales and Global Channels.
For links to research and more, check out our newsletter.
Like this episode? Check out Is your phone listening to you ... and should you care?

DEV-ITORS NOTE: After the interview, HappyOrNot clarified that cameras are standard on their touchscreen devices, but the button devices don’t have them.
ICYMI: Manny wrote a book and you can check it out here! It's called Colored People Time: A Case for (Casual) Rebellion, and it's a collection of essays about the ways that time wraps itself around our most personal moments.
Have a question you want us to answer? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at ‪(860) 325-0286
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.