Compostable plastic
What is the problem with biodegradable plastic and what are compostable plastics? Learn more about the differents bio-based plastics.
Self-regulation & greenwashing
Greenwashing and ‘positive resistance’ are two strategies widely used by companies to avoid taking actual effective measures against plastic pollution. Whenever national or international governing bodies propose to tackle plastic pollution through taxation or legislation, companies are very quick to emphasise that they will take voluntary measures to achieve the same goals. One option they often suggest to the government is the company will come up with its own plan. You can then — as a sector — propose an alternative that leads to years of delay, although it would appear as if companies are cooperating. This strategy of ‘positive resistance’ is especially effective against the background of periodic elections. With different politicians in control, the whole discussion starts afresh with each election cycle. Politicians come and go, but company lobbyists with a wealth of knowledge remain. The most task for such lobbyists is to prevent regulations which might prove troublesome to companies.
Self-regulation on microbeads
The European cosmetics industry offers a good example of self-regulation. The industry adds plastic particles to care products on a large scale: from toothpaste to eyeliner, and from body scrubs to shaving soap. The plastic particles added to these products fulfill various functions, such as acting as abrasives or thickeners. Thanks in part to the Beat the Microbead campaign, however, there is considerable pressure put on the industry to end this practice. To ensure that they were not faced with a prohibition, companies decided a number of years ago to voluntarily leave plastic microbeads out of their products. With this voluntary measure, however, companies were referring only to those microbeads that were added for their scrubbing function. The industry used their own definition that ensured that other microplastics — which fulfilled other functions — could continue to be used as ingredients in personal care products. If legal steps had been taken to demand that all microplastics be left out of care products, 90% of such formulas would have had to be adapted. The unspoken goal of self-regulation is the avoidance of rules that necessitate a move to plastic-free care products. That would be a move that would lead to considerable business expenses.
Greenwashing
Companies like to present themselves as green and sustainable, but that does not mean that they actually are. Painting company activities with a green tint is called greenwashing. The examples of greenwashing are countless, also with regards to the issue of plastic pollution. The 3R initiative from Danone, Veolia, Nestlé, and Tetra Pak is just one example. To combat the rapidly growing problem of plastic pollution, these multinationals together aim to introduce a new credit system to promote recycling. Participating companies can buy credits in projects that are aimed at cleaning up and recycling. The money is used to pay waste-pickers a better wage and to motivate people to hand in more plastic waste. It’s naive to think that this will help. Measures that would truly help, such as a drastic reduction in plastic packaging, are not taken in the context of greenwashing.
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Lightweight plastic packaging
Lightweight plastic packaging does not mean that less plastic is used in the process; in fact, more lightweight packages are produced.
Consumer Behaviour
Campaigns based on consumer behaviour are flourishing to fight against plastic waste pollution. But what does it mean, and does it work?
Recycling Myth
The process of recycling plastic is not a solution against plastic pollution, mostly because recycling plastic is a myth.
