Why are single-use plastics considered bad for the environment if they are incinerated?

Question

In countries that incinerate their waste and control the emissions, why are these plastics still considered bad for the environment?

In: Chemistry

Answer 1

First, plastics are made from hydrocarbons, meaning oil. Using oil is bad for the environment for a whole host of what I hope are obvious reasons. Second, incinerating *anything* is bad for the environment. Sure, you can, to some extent, control the pollution, but you can’t eliminate it. Any amount of pollution is worse than no pollution.