Europe's new plastic recycling rules let companies claim "100% recycled" labels on products with zero recycled content through creative accounting. While mechanical recycling achieves 80-85% success rates, the EU favors chemical recycling technologies with just 1-14% yields. With only 38% of plastic currently recycled and 19 of 27 countries failing 2025 targets, these mass balance regulations prioritize profit over performance, turning environmental policy into sustainability