Page 44 - Plastics News December 2016
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How Close Are We To a New Plastics Economy?
The United Kingdom-based NGO, which is dedicated to the promotion of a worldwide circular
economy, acknowledges that plastics have been important to global commerce.
During the World Economic Forum earlier this year in attractive direction to make that happen.”
Davos, Switzerland, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation
released a report on the New Plastics Economy. The United Opsomer and his colleagues at the Foundation said the
Kingdom-based NGO, which is dedicated to the promotion response to the report was largely positive. Praise came
of a worldwide circular economy, acknowledges that from individual companies, trade associations and civil
plastics have been important to global commerce. But in society.
this 120-page report, the Foundation says too much value
is lost as massive amounts of plastic, especially what is Business leaders are facing the stubborn fact that the
used for packaging, ends up in landfill. take-make-dispose process that defines the single-use
plastics industry contributes anywhere from $80 billion
Why focus on plastic? to $120 billion in material value losses annually.
As the production and consumption of this material are In addition, economic losses tied to the externalities that
expected to increase rapidly in the coming years, the result from the plastics industry must be considered.
results of an unchecked plastics industry could include A third of all plastic packaging leaks into the natural
environment. This and other environmental problems
associated with single-use plastic cost the global economy
at least $40 billion a year — more than the combined
profit of the entire plastic packaging industry.Indeed,
there is consensus that the plastics economy requires a
fundamental rethink and redesign. The trick, however, is
reaching that point at which a circular plastics economy
becomes economically viable.
long-term risks to public health, furtherdestruction of What needs to happen?
the world’s oceans and a loss of economic productivity.
Many organizations tout a closed-loop, zero-waste system, According to the Foundation’s researchers, three large
also called a circular economy. But the Ellen MacArthur shifts need to occur if plastics will ever transform into
Foundation arguably offers the most detailed research more of a closed-loop or circular economic system:
and compelling suggestions on how the world’s economy
can benefit from treating plastic more as a resource and 1. An effective after-use plastics economy must be
less as waste. So, almost one year after its release, is the developed. To accomplish this, plastics, and their
new plastics initiative gaining any traction? surrounding systems, must improve in quality and
economic performance. As a society, we must also
“There is a large consensus that the plastics economy undergo a surge in reuse, recycling and composting.
needs a fundamental rethink and redesign,” said Rob
Opsomer, the New Plastics Economy Lead with the Much of the focus in recent years has been on
Ellen MacArthur Foundation, “and that the New Plastics recycling. And the economics of plastics recycling
Economy sets an economically and environmentally today are certainly fragile, due to many factors
such as low fossil fuel prices. But several levers
could significantly improve the economics of plastics
recycling, including what the Foundation describes as
a Global Plastics Protocol.
More standardization, including shifts such as the
• December 2016 • Plastics News 44
