Towards zero plastic waste
Global plastic production is still growing, even exponentially; as highlighted in an article on the Wageningen University and Research Institute (WUR) website. But we want to achieve a circular economy by 2050: recycling all plastic waste or using bio-based plastics. How are we going to achieve this? Researchers from Wageningen have studied this in depth.
A large proportion of unreprocessed plastic ends up as garbage, and the amount is still growing, as is the amount of plastic produced. If policies don't change, we will be producing twice as much plastic in 2050 as we do now. The growth will occur mainly in Asia and Africa.
Europe's role
Europe has played an important role in the fight against plastic waste. The European Commission has issued guidelines aimed at curbing the use of plastics, the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which calls for higher recycling percentages, high recycling volumes in new products, and the reuse of plastic products. In addition, the guidelines set a cap on the number of plastic bags European consumers are allowed to use per day. Some countries, such as the Netherlands, have set even stricter targets: a fully circular economy. This means that almost all paper, plastics and textiles must be made from bio-based raw materials and processed for reuse.
It's easy to make policy, but much harder to enforce it. According to WUR, plastic is cheap. Most recycled plastics are more expensive than virgin plastics. Plastic is lightweight, which is important in transportation. Plastics are also effective in preventing dirt and decay. They are lighter than competing materials like glass. All of these factors mean that plastics have become part of our food security. Plastics are often very convenient, especially for single use.
Plastic, very handy
Plastics have fundamentally changed our habits. We now throw away more non-biodegradable materials than ever before. How do we change this? How do we change the habits of consumers so that they too use plastic items for long periods of time or multiple times? This is the fundamental problem with plastic waste.
Researchers at Wageningen University want to know if policy is starting on the right side of the problem. For now, their main goal seems to be limiting single-use. For example, Bed and Breakfast landlords will soon no longer be allowed to provide small plastic cups for products such as butter, jam, peanut butter and condensed milk. Does the alternative waste more product? It's easy to limit the use of single-use plastic packaging in cafeterias and festivals, but what happens in unregulated places like parks and trains? If we limit plastic consumption, will we also curb plastic production?
Towards a circular economy
The ultimate goal is for a fully circular economy: a society with zero plastic waste, recycling only recycled or bio-based plastics. But there are many different plastics around, all requiring different approaches.
PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is very recyclable. But PET is not just for bottles. We need to redesign PET containers for recycling; and build more recycling capacity.
Polyethylene is best disposed of by incineration. Here, resources are the limiting factor. For example, it is perfectly feasible to produce polyethylene from sugar cane, but this method is currently too costly. Financial incentives should help this route.
We could replace PLA with PLA. However, due to the small amount of PLA received by the sorting industry, the current recycling system cannot distinguish PLA, and this will only change if more PLA is produced and the recycling system is able to lock onto PLA.
There is one major problem with recycling plastics: the diversity of plastics. Proper recycling is only feasible on the basis of harmonized raw materials. If plastic waste remains as diverse as it is now, only crude remedies such as pyrolysis will be successful. This is the plastics industry's favorite first-choice solution.
The second option is the further development of biodegradable, bio-based plastics. It is important to keep as many of these plastics in circulation as possible to discourage the need for new plastics. It is believed that this is the only viable solution to the potential for packaging to become litter. He expects a circular bioeconomy without fossil resources to emerge in 2050. This option could also have negative impacts. Are there enough plant resources for bio-based plastics? "Bio-based plastics may eventually compete with food because land for plant production is limited", the researchers said. Therefore, we must keep as many of these plastics in circulation as possible to curb the demand for new plastics.
System reset
WUR recycling expert Ulhard Soden van Velzen believes we should "completely reset the system". A redesign of the entire infrastructure; ensuring that agriculture produces plastic resources. He says we are currently in a phase of finding our way, a period of confusion. He gave three reasons for policy change.
Plastic export ban. The goal is that in the future, Europe will clean up its own plastic consumption problem.
Ensure that plastic products and packaging are recyclable. Today, plastic packaging consists of many different types of plastic. As a result, washers often get stuck. In addition, there are many different glues, inks and softeners in use. Solution: Use as few plastic combinations as possible.
Force the recycling sector to invest in the recycling of bio-based packaging. For example, there is an alternative to polystyrene made from paper. But the Dutch paper recycling company refuses to accept this. By accepting this alternative, we can slowly build a bio-based economy.
Another Profit Model
Ross calls on businesses to change their profit models. Businesses need a new philosophy. Coca-Cola now sells most of its products in PET bottles. The company is investing in taps for businesses and universities to enable employees to use bio-based cups. "It's costing a sizable amount of money because PET bottles are cheap and taps are expensive."
Coca-Cola's policy is in line with the servitization strategy. Companies sell services rather than products. For example, energy suppliers no longer sell batteries, but charging stations that can recharge them. Instead of selling cell phones, IT companies sell memberships that include the use of cell phones. The cell phone remains the property of the business, and the business is responsible for the durability and reuse of the phone. Clothing stores are springing up where clothes can be rented. Ross says this is an interesting and radical business strategy to reduce plastic use.
Abolition of the one-time economy
Ultimately, we need to change the disposable economy; an economy where we can throw anything away after use - "they" will dispose of plastic waste anyway. The EU develops "product passports". This information includes the plastics used in the product, plastic recycling guidelines, how often the plastic is recycled, and how biodegradable the product may be. The goal is to extend the lifespan of plastic products, thus ending the culture of disposability and achieving zero plastic waste - in fact, in the long run, there is no other option.
