#02 - Plastic, Waste Audits & China

???Getting to the Bottom of…

Plastics

It is estimated that five million tonnes of plastic is used annually in the UK, half of it being packaging, but it wasn’t always like this. Plastic was virtually non-existent in daily life until the 1950s, when plastic companies pivoted to consumers since they no longer needed to make wartime essentials like parachutes and helmets. Now, we’ve gotten to the point where it’s literally raining plastic, well, micro-plastics that is.

I highly doubt that this is the first time you’ve heard of the harms of plastic. But here are some common misconceptions, which will show you why we really need to curb our plastic addiction.

1. All plastic is recyclable and a lot is recycled - Non-homogenous material, additives and contamination are some of the many reasons that plastics cannot be recycled, despite claims from some of the world’s largest oil and gas companies. No more than 10% of new plastic produced annually has been recycled to date. Even the most widely recycled plastics (HDPE, PET) have a recycling rate of only 40%.
2. Many plastic products are now made from recycled plastic or bioplastics - The degradation of plastic during the recycling process and its high cost, make recycled plastic still a very small market. 98% of single-use plastics are made from fossil fuels. This is after major lobbying efforts from big oil as they try to pivot to other avenues of income in a post-oil age. Using plastic means the continuation of big oil.
3. Bioplastics can solve all our issues - ‘Bioplastics’ refer to fossil-fuel-based plastics that are biodegradable but also plant-based plastics, biodegradable or not. The confusion about a product’s biodegradability is compounded by end-of-life issues, as many such bioplastics are only biodegradable in industrial composting facilities.

As such, the problem is a lot worse than one may think. Luckily, many countries are taking firm steps to tackle single-use plastics and plastic packaging. The UK, for example, has announced a ban on a wide range of single-use plastics from October 2023, such as single-use plastic plates, trays and cutlery, as well as certain types of polystyrene. As climate awareness grows, an overwhelming number of consumers are asking retailers to curb their plastic packing usage.

For businesses, there are regulatory and monetary incentives to reduce plastic use, particularly packaging is real.

So the real question is, where to start?

???Climate Ignited

You must be wondering what can your small business do to eliminate plastic use.

A great first step is to conduct a plastic audit.

Since every business is different, it is crucial to have an understanding of your plastic consumption. All plastics that come in and out of your business should be included, like:

• Plastic that is produced as part of your operations
• Plastic packaging that comes in with the delivery of goods
• Plastic used by your workforce
• Plastic is sold through your business
• Plastic that ends up in recycling streams or waste

Taking time to understand the flow of plastic usage within your business will enable you to eliminate plastic usage. WRAP has a Waste Audit Guide for Businesses that can help with this process.

???Climate Off-the-clock

Plastic China

Part of the official selection of the 2017 Sundance Festival, this documentary was filmed when China was still the biggest importer of plastic waste. Through the eyes of the main character 11-year-old Yi-Jie, whose family is part of a plastic waste recycling workshop, the consequences of plastic waste are set before your eyes. Yi-Jie’s ambitions of going to school, are clouded by poverty, disease and pollution. The ambition and hope the people in the documentary exhibit set behind the backdrop of literal piles of garbage waste offers a humanised perspective to the larger environmental problem.

Well, that’s a wrap on the TBL this week. We’ll catch you guys in two weeks. In the meantime, why not check out our Brand Spotlight with eco-goods subscription box service Bide Planet?

Au revoir!

*Some independent studies have concluded that microplastics are a far less serious issue than the WWF study makes it out to be.

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Triple Bottom Line is a fortnightly newsletter curated by?Sebastian Wong. For any enquiries or for further information please contact:

[email protected]?| Sebastian Wong