Switching from plastic alternatives unlikely address pollution problem

Plastic alternatives may be causing greater environmental harm, including higher carbon emissions, says a new report from the Green Alliance.

The charity has found that companies switching from plastic to other materials may, in some cases, be increasing their carbon footprint as they seek to address plastic pollution.

New research for the Circular Economy Task Force, based on anonymised interviews from leading UK supermarkets and brands, reveals that, in the absence of government direction, a disjointed and potentially counterproductive approach to solving plastic pollution is emerging.

The new report, Plastic promises: what the grocery sector is really doing about packaging, quotes industry insiders, showing that bigger changes are on the way that could have negative consequences, including higher carbon emissions and lower packaging recyclability.

The report found that consumers are “hugely confused about what bio-based, compostable and biodegradable mean.”

A particular concern is compostable or biodegradable plastic.

According to Green Alliance, over 80 per cent of consumers think this is environmentally friendly, but there is little understanding of what the terms mean and how the material should be dealt with once used.

Interviewees said they wanted a clearer approach to where it should be used and how it should be marked to avoid causing more problems.

Libby Peake, senior policy adviser on resources at Green Alliance, said: “The public are right to be outraged about plastic pollution. But what we don’t want is, a few years down the line, for them to be outraged about new environmental problems caused by the alternatives. We need to address the root of the problem, our throwaway society.”

Related content

Leave a reply

Food and Drink Technology