To truly achieve a plastic-free environment we should do more than just apply the R's principle. Let's find out what needs to be done and why.
We all know about the four R’s concept to protect the environment: Reduce - Refuse - Reuse - Recycle.
If each of us applied a bit of these precious rules in our everyday life, a lot could be achieved both for our health and the planet’s.
But when it comes to PLASTIC POLLUTION, I believe a fifth R, that stands for REPLACE, is the one we should keep in mind the most if we really want our planet and its lands, fauna and oceans, to get rid of plastic waste.
And here’s why.
REDUCE the amount of (plastic) garbage.
As responsible people, we may very well be doing our best every single day, doing things like bringing fabric bags with us when we go to the supermarket or refusing to have our fresh products wrapped up individually.
But despite all our efforts, our plastic bin fills up at the speed of light, and that’s because there are still simply too many products we need that are made of, packaged or wrapped in plastic.
The best possible solution would be not to buy them, but it is easier said than done.
So although we can do a lot, it is clear that even our best, while significant, is not enough to effectively reduce the amount of plastic waste we produce.
REUSE as much as possible every (plastic) item.
Individually, we can opt for refill centers to stock up on detergents or cereals for example, as well as prefer a product whose container is more easily recyclable (remember to check which are the ones in your area, since there might be a big difference from country to country).
We might also opt for products packaged in recycled plastic, to avoid bringing extra amounts of new plastic into the loop.
But we still must be aware that plastic degrades more and more each time it is recycled, and that even though postponing the end of a plastic container undoubtedly reduces the strain of valuable resources -such as fuel and energy- with many positive consequences on the environment, sooner or later that same container will end its lifecycle, turning into waste.
Let’s now take a look at some interesting numbers.
RECYCLE, so a (plastic) product life continues.
No doubt recycling is important. There’s an argument to be made both in terms of saving energy and fuel -plastic waste must still be collected, transported to a recycling plant and processed- and avoiding adding net new plastic volume to the environment.
But of all the plastic waste produced since 1950, do you know how much plastic has actually been recycled?
According to a study published in the journal Sciences Advances “of the 8.3 billion tons produced since 1950, only 9 percent has been recycled. The vast majority—79 percent—is accumulating in landfills or sloughing off in the natural environment as litter. Meaning: at some point, much of it ends up in the oceans, the final sink.” (It is estimated that 8 million tons of plastic enter our oceans every year).
The remaining 12% has been incinerated.
Shocked? You should not be.
Most businesses’ main goal is profit, and the recycling industry, like it or not, is a business like any other.
For this reason it has little to no interest in certain types of plastic that are difficult to recycle –generally speaking the ones imprinted with numbers 3, 5, 6 and 7– and that after collection will most probably be immediately discarded in a landfill.
Also, recycled plastic must compete with virgin plastic in terms of demand and pricing. Since the recycling process requires enormous amounts of energy and resources, and demand for it is still lagging, the lower returns decrease incentives even further.
No wonder then, that many countries have few to none recycling plants. And since China, the major importer up until 2017, set limits to the import of plastic waste, many communities around the world have started to face a huge waste problem.
In his research, Roland Geyer states that “if present trends continue, by 2050, there will be 12 billion metric tons of plastic in landfills”.
Considering these huge numbers of plastic waste, its close-to-nothing recycling percentages, and the fact that plastic takes hundreds of years to break down — how do we think we can REALLY solve the plastic pollution problem if we go on producing and not recycling virgin plastic?
The present situation would suggest that to REPLACE plastic is the only viable solution to really solve the problem.
Industrially, some companies and private researchers are finally at work creating new sustainable materials able to compete with plastic’s great qualities. Though this is not an easy task, there are hopes that a viable alternative will soon be found.
Meanwhile the green beauty industry is giving a great example by banning single-use plastic and privileging glass containers and paper packagings, and some newborn startups, like us at Mandal, are working hard to achieve even more innovative solutions to bring the packaging impact of personal care products to near zero-waste.
Ignoring the litter that already shows up everywhere, and refusing to change our habits will put our own survival at risk.
Each of us can do a lot. From buying plastic-free items to refusing food wrapped in cellophane. From drinking water out of reusable bottles to staying at eco-friendly hotels. There are plenty of chances to join the zero-waste community philosophy — and to support those companies, who work for a healthier planet, is to guarantee a future to mankind.
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