A major contributor to the environmental pollution problems we face today is what we term our ‘throw-away society’. We have become accustomed to products that are designed to have a short lifespan and which are then discarded. Manufacturers have even been accused of building in obsolescence to reduce product life. Then there are certain high-volume disposable products that are intended to be used only once. These single use plastics (SUPs), which include items such as straws, stirrers, sandwich wrappers and cotton buds, generate huge amounts of waste that end up in landfill and oceans.
Governments around the world, aware that discouraging the production of SUPs is not working, are responding with new regulations that effectively make the supply of these products illegal. In the UK since April 2020, suppliers who break the ban face a fine or compliance order. Similarly, the European Parliament has approved measures proposed by the European Commission to ban selected SUPs for which non-plastic alternatives exist, including expanded polystyrene food and beverage containers, and all products made of oxo-degradable plastic, as well as specific items like cotton bud sticks, cutlery and sticks for balloons. The ban, effective July 2021, makes it clear that biodegradable plastic cannot be used as a substitute material.
Whether the plastics industry likes it or not, the public and the legislators have decided that companies must bear the greatest responsibility in reducing environmental pollution. For many manufacturers, there is a stark choice. Continue to produce polluting items and face hefty fines, or switch to non-polluting products that are less harmful to the planet.
CirQulor is working to create the much-needed infrastructure, systems and resources that will assist companies and brands in switching from SUPs (and indeed most plastic products) to planet-friendly alternatives. We can help in the transition to a circular economy with innovative and sustainable business models, products and materials.
Image: Nariman Mesharrafa on Unsplash
