Have we reached ‘peak plastic’? It feels like momentum is building on the issue of plastic waste in the environment. Across Europe, new laws and policies are being proposed or enacted, from plastic bottle deposit and return schemes, to bans and charges on single-use plastic bags, to phasing out non-compostable plastic cups, plates, and cutlery. Will these proposals make a difference? Or is it too little, too late?
In the United Kingdom, the BBC documentary “Blue Planet II” shocked viewers with its footage of plastic-clogged oceans and the impact on marine life. Even industry bodies accept that plastic waste is an issue, and want to see more recycling and sustainable use of plastics.
What do our readers think? We had a comment sent in about plastic waste from one of our long-time readers, Paul X, who put it like this: “Currently most fruit or veg either comes pre-packed in plastic or the supermarkets provide little bags to put it in. So when someone leaves the store with their shopping they have a plastic bag full of smaller plastic bags with the produce in. Why does it need two layers of plastic?”
In reply to Paul, we also had a comment from Sophie, who wonders whether plastic packaging really contributes to a lot of plastic waste. She says that when she walks around her city of Glasgow, she sees a lot of plastic bags, bottles, and cans, but hardly any supermarket plastic packaging. So, is it really such a big deal?
To get a response, we put Sophie’s comment to Joan Marc Simon, Executive Director of Zero Waste Europe. How would he react?
For another perspective, we also spoke to David Baker, Packaging Division Chairman at European Plastics Converters. What was his take?
I think Sophie raises an absolutely excellent point, there. The reality is that there is a lot of plastic waste around in the environment, and that is something which I’m concerned about as a citizen, but I’m also concerned about from an industry perspective as well.
So, she’s right, if you look at the waste that’s around – and therefore the waste that’s in the environment – that tends not to be the sort of packaging that you would find in a supermarket. Because supermarket packaging gets taken home, you take the goods out of the packaging, the packaging has then done its job – it’s delivered the goods to you in a very good condition – and nine times out of ten you dispose of that packaging in your household rubbish, whatever system you have (it might be curbside collection) but you would dispose of that within your home, and it tends not to get littered in the environment…
We also put the same comment to Dianna Cohen, CEO and Co-Founder of the Plastic Pollution Coalition. What would she say? Does plastic packaging really contribute to a lot of plastic waste?
Absolutely. [Studies have shown] that plastics’ largest market is packaging, an application whose growth was accelerated by a global shift from reusable to single-use containers, starting in the 1950s. We need a return to reuse over ‘disposable’ plastic.
It’s awesome that you are paying attention to the plastic pollution you see in your neighborhood. I encourage all of you to keep paying attention, and use the app Litterati, a PPC member, to record the plastic pollution and other litter you see around you. This will help us see the brands that are the biggest polluters and hold them accountable for the products they create…
Next up, we had a comment sent in by Suitboy, who wonders if the best approach is to “nudge” the public, or to “shove” them. He argues that charging money for plastic bags would be an example of a “nudge”, but adds that a significant reduction in plastic may require more of a shove; for example an outright ban on plastic packaging. Is he right?
How would Dianna Cohen from the Plastic Pollution Coalition respond?
How would Joan Marc Simon from Zero Waste Europe respond?
Finally, how would David Baker from the European Plastic Converters respond?
In terms of ‘shoving’ or ‘nudging’, I don’t believe that bans are going to be at all practical, and I don’t think anybody that I’m aware of in any of the legislative bodies believe in bans. We live in a society where plastic packaging is an inherent part of what we do every day. It has a great number of very positive uses in extending shelf-life, allowing us to shop infrequently, delivering choice, letting us buy products from all over the world in a very fresh and pristine condition, and therefore banning is probably not the way to go forward.
Even banning some of the items that are not packaging – there’s things like plastic straws being talked about, stirrers, and plastic cutlery – I’m not in favour of banning any of those things, and I don’t think that there’s a lot of legislators that are in favour of banning those things. I may be proved wrong on that. But I do think that something needs to be done about these items, and I’m not against some form of charging, as long as – as I said – the money goes to the right place, and actually goes towards solving the issue, and reducing the amount of plastic in the environment.
Should plastic packaging be banned? Or would a ‘nudge’, in terms of charges or levies, be a better approach? Let us know your thoughts and comments in the form below and we’ll take them to policymakers and experts for their reactions!
IMAGE CREDITS: (c) / BigStock – Siriporn2525
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241 comments Post a commentcomment
Banned is a dream. But products should have just the right amount of packaging and possibly not mixing different materials, like plastic and paper cause that makes recycling hard. Also what’s the point in wrapping in plastic fruits like bananas?!
Banned
ASAP. In the meantime, it should be taxed to discourage its use and to raise money to fund the cost of recicling.
yes, please!
Banned.
Yes
why debating ? just ban !!
why ban? If you had a debate saying about his topic then what will you do?
Of course
…it’s up to us…
Yes yes yes
Yes
Yrs
Yes!!!!
If there are alternatives then yes
Why do you add such stupid questions? The state of the Earth not polluted enough?
If banned we will have a problem with cross contamination, shorter shelf life and more food waste. Banning completely would be dumb, however packaging that is soley used to make something look bigger than it is should be outlawed. Or perhaps we should just vote with our feet and reject goods with unnecessary packaging…
It could be replace with bio engineered packaging. For instance, wrapping made out of corn starch
While I agree with you that a lot of products are unnecessarily wrapped in plastic, what do you mean by cross contamination? What are the goods involved? I’m genuinely curious
different types of plastic have different barrier properties some are good oxygen barrier some defend against moisture, sadly there is no golden bullet where packaging is concerned, this is why some packaging has several layers of different plastics to protect the contents from the environment
cross contamination can occur when products are handled or stored, a good example is raw meat getting near cooked meat or fruit. Much of the packaging started out life as convenient means of protecting the contents from bacteria or drying out, the perfect example of unnecessary packaging would be designs for perfume and makeup.. necessary would be raw meat.
Yes
YES!
Rhetoric question?
Stop “debating” and start “discussing” or don’t you know the difference?!?
Yes, but i don’t think it’s possible without completely rethinking our supply chain.
Yes!!!
yes
Banned as soon as possible, or at least reduced by 80% since in most cases it’s absolutely not necessary.
Yes. Never had it as a kid, or nowhere near as much!
Meat has been in plastic since over 50 years. Even before self serve stores. Butchers put it in plastic bags, pre slices vegetables should be in plastic, soda should be in plastic bottles since glass is more weight and can easier be broken, so it’s the most stupid idea ever
What’s the most stupid idea – getting rid of it or using it? I’m sorry but you are not being clear. And by the way – nothing should be in plastic – it is just is cheaper and more expedient to have it so now. Meat has not been in plastic for 50 years that is total nonsense. Pre sliced vegetables are a complete waste of time and money and also deplete the vitamins – try slicing them yourself! The most stupid idea ever is creating a material that will not decompose.
Actually meat from a butchers was wrapped in paper, and soda came in glass bottles that had a deposit on them so they were almost always returned – kids would even look out for discarded bottles to collect and take to the shop for the deposit…now how about that for a radical idea?
Yes, but it won’t because it is carcinogenic and the Pharmaceutical companies needed to remain on the shelves
Absolutely
Yes! , because the plastic as well as garbage , could spell the end of our planet. And this is the why I do care more and more to the climate change , than a war.
Should use soy packaging
Yes, now require bio degradable or organic.
Make bio degradable pakaging
A lot of people won’t agree with me but the world can not live without plastic as it is in nearly ever thing produced and there to many rich company making money out of plastic and as we know the law makers and the decision makers are all corrupt I can see it happening for a long time yet
Not if people keep buying plastic packaging or defending the law and companies that support it. No, it won’t happen overnight, but it certainly won’t happen if we close our eyes to the horrible consequences of using plastic packaging for anything and everything. Inaction is the plague of the world.
Or: if no one seems to care, does that mean you shouldn’t care either?
Something has to happen now otherwise the world will drown in the stuff. This has literally happened in my lifetime only (I am 64) and it horrifies me and should absolutely everyone. The rich stinking companies can carry on making plastic but they have to be forced now to make it biodegradable – perfectly possible – and stop using oil as its base.
Yes, Oui.
My favorite is the pre- peeled orange or hardboiled egg..in a plastic container! Nononononooooo!!!
Those pre-peeled are for people who are disabled and cannot do it for themselves. There’s a good reason for that. Don’t be an a*****e.
“Those pre-peeled are for people who are disabled and cannot do it for themselves”……. the irony in your statement is some products are packaged in plastic that even able bodied people have problems opening
Yes Of course
Yes and at least get rid of disposal / singular use plastic!! Its a disgrace that more then half of the plastic used is not even recycable!
Yes.
Use biodegradable plastics instead.
Not banned, but discouraged
No, it would be better if humanity walks of the clif as soon as possible. In a thousand year everything will be cleaned up. What a stupid question is that.
What a stupid reaction is that
As stupid as the question. Learn to read
Yes, Ja, Si, Are, we…..
Every plastic beverage can contains up to 300 microplastic particles. Tasty isn’t it?
As soon as possible we were brought up with no plastic and never missed it .
Yes!!!!!
Banned
Yes
Definitely!!!!
Bannested ! We survived ages without it it’s the great distribution fear
YES.
Yes
Well, DE , the alternative is?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes. No need for this
Definetly YES!
They could use biodegradable plastics only.
What that plastic bag around your veggies is filled with is pure nitrogen to keep your food from rotting and growing fuzz before you open to eat it.
This is a good thing reducing waste and costs for our foods.
Banned
Yes there are better alternatives available, why not use them? I assume this is just about oil-based plastic and not bioplastics.
Bioplastics aren’t as great as often claimed, some still leave behind microplastics, and the ones that don’t are very weak and not appropriate for packaging.
But we don’t even need the packaging, as packaging free stores illustrate beautifully.
Yes!
Yes
yes
Yes
Ja
Yes
Yes
The reality is that plastic won’t be banned as there is a need for it for hygiene reasons in some cases. Just think of the supply chain network that food travels through… 1) potentially grown in and transported through countries outside the EU where the food safety regulations may be different, 2) transported on ships, 3) transported by road in the EU, 4) stored in supermarket back rooms until needed for the shop floor… however, can alternatives be found? Probably. Do we need to sell cabbages both in and out of plastic next to each other? No.
But when fruit and vegetables travel, they are not packaged, they are just for us, to look neat at the supermarket. You need to wash them anyways. I always prefer to buy the unpackaged produce.
Yes… No question mark!
Absolutely yes!
Yes
Is that a question?? It is long time overdue to find and use biodegradable packaging materials.
YES
Absolutely, there are plenty of alternatives.
Absolutely. I can’t understand what we’re waiting for. The planet is already submersed by it.
Yes
Yes
Yes
Les déchets plastiques ils en font quoi???comme les déchets nucléaires?!c’est trop tard.
Remember all the sick people in Germany when a cat had peed on the veggies ….. ????
Actually I don’t, but all vegetables should the thoroughly washed before use whatever it comes wrapped in…do you imagine all the migrant fruit and vegetable pickers working in the fields wash their hands thoroughly after they have been to the toilet?
EU as it is today should be banned !!!
…as well !
Absolutely
Yuppp
Yes!
Wrapping can be made from maize or hemp, so why not make the switch?
Yes
Hope soon!
No. It should not be banned, but guided to be used only when necessary – for products where packaging durability and robustness matters, for example. Some of it’s applications have no alternatives yet, and in some cases – changing the packaging will mean a disproportionate increase in prices, which is unacceptable for consumers.
complete stop on plastics, in stages of just a few years! first of all the individual packaging of food should be immidiately stopped! Bring in standard paachaging model for tranport of food like a brand that has expieriance as tupperware and delivers good quality! Collorcoded, Let packaging not influence the use of the product and by making it easy to polute more! Get the kapitalisme out of it and sell products that are judged on their quality not commercial ! Get rid of the hudge warehouses and give the world back to the people so we don’t need packaging to circle the world in ship’s or lorries! Micro economies are the future to survive the heating off the planet, not the greedy mass production industrial giants and it’s shareholders!
this could work in utopia. but in this capitalistic world it will never work.
I think it should be replaced by BIOPLASTICS made from natural materials such as corn starch.
Not to be confused with biodegradable plastics made from traditional PETROCHEMICALS, which are engineered to break down more quickly.
This in combination with (recycled) paper bags (not from trees) would four fill the need for plastic in the modern society.
http://www.explainthatstuff.com/bioplastics.html
Yup
Not yet.
NO it should be replaced by BIOPLASTICS made from natural materials such as corn starch.
Not to be confused with biodegradable plastics made from traditional PETROCHEMICALS, which are engineered to break down more quickly.
This in combination with (recycled) paper bags (not from trees) would four fill the need for plastic in the modern society.
http://www.explainthatstuff.com/bioplastics.html
or potato starch
Banned. Already bio shops working very well with products « en vrac » (in bulk). Buyers must bring own reusable bags.
Quality of tap water should also be guaranteed
It’s actually ‘International Mother Earth Day’, or is that a perpetuation of the patriarchy ?
All electrics cars, official language, one flag, one currency, but differents cultures and laws peoples didn’t vote for… why not? It reminds me E USSR.
Definitely Yes, Its annoying that in some shops most of the veggies is packed. Do I really need a plastic tray and a plastic bag to get avocado?
If you have any others problems…
Ka Sia I wonder how much damage was done to the planet just to get that Avocado to the shops so you could buy it & if it was more damage than it’s plastic wrapping ?
https://media.pri.org/s3fs-public/styles/story_main/public/migration/PriMigrationsDamanticWordpressAttachmentsImagesMigration/www.theworld.org/wp-content/uploads/RTX12NIT-e1378751612941.jpg?itok=aUiIxzXk
sure
OF COURSE!!!!
We all have to do more to achieve the objectives of a circular economy – have a look how we contribute to the debate:
https://politics.metroag.eu/policies/metros-commitment-to-the-circular-economy.html
Yes, ban plastic packaging. Before, tissue paper was used.
Yes, yes, yes
Yes. End of story. And put grocers back into the shops instead of this ridiculous self checkout bs
We survived before without plastics. We used bayong , papers, and containers when go to wet market. They collect garbage without charging. So, why can’t we do it now?
Totally ban it!
It’s not a simple question. Plastics are bad but proper use of plastic packaging help reduce food wastage. *Some* use of plastic containers is probably better than none at all.
Banned please!
it should banned in turkey
All food is wrapped in plastic, how else will you keep it in a grocery store?
Unwrapped, just like the old days.
Soda is in plastic bottles and no glass bottles aren’t an option, cookies, dried fruit, sugar, other liquid, meat, meat should be in plastic not paper, fish, fish should be in plastic, bread, all is in plastic, even when not pre packed the butcher puts in plastic. Paper sucks fot wet and greasy food like meat and fish
Require 100% biodegradable materials by 2025 or so and let the industry decide what works best, plastic or not.
Every day should be Earth Day!
Yes it should….will it save the human race?….no, it’s game over
Yes, it should.
Yes, please.
Of course!!!
Yes!!
It should be banned, yes; now it’s not that easy (don’t bite my head off). All of the plastics? Well, I ask: are there alternatives? Some; yes. In grocery stores, you can use paper packaging for perishable, dry produce: fruits, veggies; or crystal containers for unperishable produce: beans, dried herbs, pasta, etc. It’s especially useful to offer “loose”, self-weighted, by the score, in bulk products. You can either bring the containers from home, or again—paper bags. It can break? Yes; so can plastic. It’s hardier? Undoubtedly.
But reusable plastics… It’s an issue of education and awareness. Yes, I do into a store and buy fruit and put them in little plastic bags; but I’ve been keeping them for months and I’ve been reusing them for months. Maybe it’s something we do in Spain, but it so often happens that in every house, there’s a plastic bag for plastic bags that we keep. We are already keeping bags “just in case”. I just simply pack my backpack with some plastic bags when I’m off to the store and use them, and use them, and use them. Until they break; or not. And I’m proud of that little gesture.
Single use plastics? That’s another issue just by itself… I can use the container where strawberries are sold, for example; but there’s a second plastic they’re wrapped in. That plastic is ripped off and thrown away. Goodbye. And I understand that’s really unnecessary, but it’s easy for many.
For example, I like sesame seed bars—and they’re wrapped in plastic. For one use and one use only: to be ripped off. And they’re mass produced. Industrially. And that’s how the system is. What is the alternative for this seed bars & energy bars, biscuits, sugar cereals, muffins, etc, etc and etc, that come in plastic wrappings? Sweets? Candy? Doritos? Mass produced, for one consumption, single use… I can’t go back with an open Dorito package and get more Doritos.
So yes, ban plastics. Ban and make the system better. Tell people to reuse plastic bags. Stop putting veggies into plastic bags, more self-weighted, by the score produce. Paper bags. Hardier, recycled big bags… Etc.
The problem with plastic is the waste. It generates direct and indirect waste. We’ve all had that 6 unit package of lettuce rotting at the back of the fridge. (It’s lettuce, a red pepper, some tomatoes; someone had a veg rot for a while in the fridge. I’m sure). We decided to eat healthy and held on for a week. And ate through 3 lettuce tender hearts. Then 1 dries up but the other liquifies. And it ends up in the rubbish. Or the 250 g of red beans (or pasta, or rice), which we’ve been cooking for 2 months straight, but a shy handful sits in its plastic bag for 2 years. They harden, they become useless, uncookable. And again to the rubbish. It’s not only plastic—it’s a system of “standard packaging” that’s easy, but doesn’t work for everyone. Some of us like eating a lot of beans; others eat them twice a year. We both buy 250 g packages (for example)… What about that?
What do you think, Aramis?
I agree that plastic should be banned for as many products as possible. And if not, people should be much more conscious of what they do when they use it. Recycling is so easy and free, and plastic can be reused and so can cans.
I don’t think you can ban plastic packaging without a sustainable solution. I also think it’s rubbish that household waste doesn’t end up in the environment. The vast majority of plastic packaging cannot be recycled and that is very frustrating for those of us who actually care.
Yes they should ban all plastic im fed up of sow much package everywhere I go !!!
Yes, ban it.
Yes, please!
Yes for sure banned!
If needed use the plastic-feel-alike wjich is bio-degradable :-)
NOT A REAL QUESTION —-> IT’S EVIDENT
I agree with the fact that plastic garbage should be avoided.
we must ban PLASTIC!
And replaced with paper bags ……… Oh wait, what about the forests ???? 8|
Bamboo can be grown, it’s fast to grow, cheap, and can be used for paper profuction.
biodegradable plastic for furniture cushions, insulation, packaging and other products by converting casein into a biodegradable material that matches the stiffness and compressibility of polystyrene. Also hemp and millet are an alternative.
Robin
But you would have to chop down all the forests to create bamboo fields & bamboo is tropical so wouldn’t grow in Europe which would mean another million people made unemployed and yet more industries and therefore National income lost.
Sorry, just not seeing the solution with bamboo. 8|
Karin Lodge Agreed but people freak out when they hear the word ‘plastic’. Maybe they should call it something else, something like ‘paper replacement material (PRM)’. But someone will probably find a problem with that too because of the fact you still need to petroleum & gas to make it.
As much as possible, yes.
Yes, why not? A good substitute of the plastic bags would be bags made of fabric, like cotton, so we could even adapt (or reuse) them to our underwear :)
Com todo devido respeito. Mas se todos nos tivessemos, educaçao,cultura,etc,etc. QUANTAS TONELADAS DE PLASTICO,SE POUPARIAO? Porque todos sabemos que o plastico,nunca se vai acabar.Ou nao? Mesmo ja li um artigo,que fui,inventado um plastico,que se desfaz.Penso que os engº quimicos,tem uma palavra a dizer.Nem que seja ,educacao/cultura para o povo, para assim diminuir o consumo drasticamente.E havendo essa responsabilidade do povo,ja nao iria para certos sitos os plasticos,e talvez se degradassem de outra maneira masi higienica, e saudavel.
Dear Jose everything will finish, either the sun will explode in the very long future. Then we can only delay this end.
Recycling is the way nature works and our society must find ways of recycling the wasted materials into new materials.
Manuel que vai estoirar, mas día menos día,estoy de acordo. Mas a reciclagem,sem educacao e cultura, nao acredito.
Is that even a question? Of course plastic should be banned
You do know what your pc &/or mobile phone are made of right ?
Of course, but here we talk about packaging, right?
Christian, You either care about not using plastic or you do not, you can’t cherry pick 8|
Ivan, you can either move to one direction, do nothing or move to opposite direction. I think, if you can make a change, make it. Obviously we are so much dependent on materials that are harmful to environment, but not all of it is necessary and could be reduced easily (e.g single use plastic bags, plastic toothbrushes, containers etc.). Some things are more challenging.
Christian
10,000 plastic bags = 1 Tv case or 20 mobile phone cases or 40 nail varnish caps so reducing plastic bag use while massively increasing consumer production across the board is meaningless, but at least it makes it easier for some people to engage in virtual signalling.
Without plastic there can be no modern Western Civilization so be careful what you wish for.
We should be concentrating on its disposal after use, not ending its production.
There is edible “plastic” !! Of with all this obsollete literature …
edible “plastic”? what is that supposed to mean?
Absolutely!!
Yes, of course!
Absolutely.
Not yet, no. It would make life more expensive, it would hurt exactly the poorest of us. Plastic is good, I like my plastic. If the rich really want a clean habitat, they should pay for having it. The poor have other priorities. But all is good, because where’s a need, there’s a business opportunity too.
Róbert, it is better to start thinking of your kids and grandkids and not your wallet on such issues.
I am not rich but I can afford to live without plastic bags and things like that..
Of course I value the future of my kids too, but I still can’t see why limiting our options would be the way to go, instead of finding ways for solving the problems caused by technological progress. Plastic is cheap and useful, we should concentrate on perfecting ways to live with it safely. And we will, ’cause there’s profit in it. Waste collection and recycling is a booming business and it will constantly improve. Thinking with your wallet is usually the best and most rational way of thinking. Save for a few exceptions, of course. Thinking with your heart instead of your head, deciding how others should live their lives, based on feelings, is not.
Maybe we should ban the corn inside the bag as they are terrible for the environment.
Are you looking forward to the release of the first plastic free mobile phone after Brussels bans plastic ? 8|
Y
E
S
YES! Petroleum, non-degradable at least.
We should ban plastic and replace it with something else..
Plastic pollutes the environment too much
If and when a material that provides the same qualities that are expected and needed from plastic packaging with a similar price tag – then it’s worth considering. Not before.
consumütion shpuld be banned zo save the planet lol
Yes!
It MUST be bio- type and biodegradable, at least packages that are spoiled.
Yes. Definitely. Either biodegradable packages or no packages.
Yes, time to move on
proud about my Company who’s working towards a world with a fully sustainable biodegradable and compostable plastic economy
Not until we have other means to provide the same material properties fir packaging, especially of foods. We should not go back to inferior packaging.
well, if people keep asking this every year, soon it will be plastic to ban men from this planet.
I think it should be banned. people! Animals are dying because of this. We are destroying our homes! people open your eyes and see the treachery we are committing. We must protect our planet our people our ancestors and EVERYONE!!!! even strangers! we are all enjoined we all stand in the same place we must respect each other and unite against plastic packaging!! WHO’S WITH ME???
do is money yay me! far so? la ti do yay more money
my message is to convey that it should be banned because the plastic polythenes are not bieng decomposed and causes a lot of issues regarding the enviornment………..
According to me it should be banned because it harms various animal both in aquatic and terrestial animals both.Therfore it harms the humans too.
if no plants no FOOD if no animals no ECOSYSTEM will be damaged.if no human no LIFE.
According to me it should be banned because it harms various animal both in aquatic and terrestial animals both.Therfore it harms the humans too.
if no plants no FOOD if no animals no ECOSYSTEM will be damaged.if no human no LIFE.
Yes it should be banned…as there is always an alternative it can be replaced by use of cartons in packaging
Is this even a question? Every where I go there is at least more than 20 pieces of plastic on the ground.
Totally
Yes….mostly…and 5g also…
Compostable plastic was already invented, it should be used where plastic is necessary. Otherwise we should use more paper and glass.
Yes
Yes it should. Every day I see bananas in plastic, cucumber in plastic, paprika in plastic. Crazy.
Yes
Yes.
Yes, this material is a danger for the environment.
Yes
I think it should be banned … and fishermen all over the world should be able to make a living of fishing it out of the sea … even better if that would be paid by the producers of plastics ( petrochemistry ), to take responsability.
rhetorical question?
Definetly!
use it only where really necessory
yes if not absolutely necessary!
Yes
Yes
Yes!
Yes
YES!
It is worldly problem. Every body should be thinking about it
Absolutely yes
Yes definitely….More paper …cartons or glass instead
it MUST be banned
No debate here
Yes!
Which is the alternative ?
Imediatly
That would be health catastrophe of epic proportions, there is no substitute for plastic packaging.
Yes. Paper was always fine
we’d better do it soon. like, today
Yes
Yes
Bio degradable alternatives to plastic have unfortunately proven to not be biodegradable they require a certain environment to break down and actually extensive testing has proven they don’t break down in landfill how the creators intended. Also packaging made from corn-starch that has to travel in containers has failed as when is hits 50 degrees it because completely malleable. Should we be using a third world food source to create alternatives to packaging?
Compostable products are fantastic but we currently don’t have the waste collection infrastructure to collect and process the product. It relies on the consumer to compost at home or take into plant. Consumers talk the talk but we are all so used to an easy life. I hope the new legislation around the resource and waste strategy will chain this future for compostable products.
If we remove plastic from the supply chain completely what are the alternatives? If we replace with paper for example we would need to plant 3 billion trees tomorrow.
Paper also uses far more energy and natural resource i.e water to make.
Recycling paper uses 4 times the amount of energy than making virgin paper.
All plastic can be recycled and what I believe we really need to do is invest in the technology to collect and process all the plastic that has already been produced and reprocess it into other products. Plastic has an ever lasting life cycle and rather than creating more of it we need to reuse what have which will actually provide all of the packaging we will ever need. Heavy investments need to made in the RT7000 and the other technologies alike.
I think substances in its composition cause cancer when exposed to heat and sunoluyor.
Of course it should because it is really affecting us and not only us, animals as well. We now need to make a change to our world now! Would you rather live on a good planet which is healthy with healthy humans and animals or in a dump?
Interesting that plastic bags were originally proposed as an better eco alternative to paper bags which necessitated the destruction of millions of trees…….how times change.
of course
I dont know. As a matter of fact I am worried with the millions eaten by, NOGs, and the United Nations. Socialists only think in raising taxes.
Some research says, that paper packaging is even more harmful from an environmental standpoint if all manufacturing stages and their impact are accounted for. So may be the answer is yes, but the replacement should really make sense, or it is just another populist stupidity again.
Me an intelectual. no unnecessary packaging. Not on fruits, not on veggies. 0 toothpaste paper boxes, no solid soap on individual plastic wrappers.
Bags that you can refill with rice or potatoes. Glass bottles to refill with wine, beer, water, tomato sauce, etc.
I am ok with any solution if it makes real sense. Glass has its own issues, but indeed, can be good for many things.
well yes, but we already have loads of glass in circulation and I’m talking about reuse not melt and do a new bottle. That should lower some of the problems. Substitute plastic for paper is kind of covering the sun with a colander.
Please don’t get me wrong, I am not arguing against the use of glass, just trying to say that this should not be a rushed decision are we may end up with new problems instead of the old ones :) Glass is a really good option, and you can even recycle it relatively easily, but the infrastructure has to be ready to take the load.
Sorry I think we are agree 100% I just wanted to be witty
No worries :) Any debate has to have multiple sides, or it defeats the purpose :D
Yes !!!
I think the decision should be sensible as there are many benefits to plastic packaging. Manufacturers should produce a product that is biodegradable and within this realm should considerations be made. Possibly a clean up tax could also be implemented to aid in a plastic clean up, but it should only be imposed on those who make the mess and not those who are making an effort to care for our oceans. A decision to drastically ban plastics is just another drastic decision without thoroughly thinking things through and reviewing the details. I am not an expert by any means but we all have a responsibility corporately and individually to consider what we buy, research company practices, and consider the affect of our decisions on others including the planet and its inhabitants.