You can’t run a “recycling” program without also being able to make plutonium for bombs.
But you need far more enrichment for weapons grade plutonium than you do for commercial fuel plutonium. In fact, the more we use plutonium for fuel, the less nuclear waste there will be available to potentially be recycled into weapons grade plutonium in the future. There would also be less potent waste to be stored long term which is why Japan reprocesses.
And other countries are reprocessing, including Russia and China, so I don’t see how US holding back is helping non-proliferation anyway.
But you need far more enrichment for weapons grade plutonium than you do for commercial fuel plutonium. In fact, the more we use plutonium for fuel, the less nuclear waste there will be available to potentially be recycled into weapons grade plutonium in the future. There would also be less potent waste to be stored long term which is why Japan reprocesses.
And other countries are reprocessing, including Russia and China, so I don’t see how US holding back is helping non-proliferation anyway.