Page 45 - Plastics News December 2016
P. 45
FEATURES 10
INDIA 2017
International Plastics Exhibition & Conference
Where the future of plastic is...
JAN 2017
19 20 21 22 23 MUMBAI. INDIA
replacement of PVC labels or certain pigments with compostable, plastics. The Foundation suggests using
more easily recyclable alternatives, would be one way compostable plastics for well-defined and targeted
to integrate the adoption of new best practices in applications such as coffee pods and fast food packaging.
plastics collection, sorting and reprocessing systems, Harmonized labeling would minimize the risk of
the Foundation says. contamination, the Foundation says, allowing industries
that are now highly wasteful to become far more efficient.
2. Plastics industry stakeholders must dramatically
reduce all negative externalities, including the The role of business
excessive release of plastics into the natural
environment. Creating an effective post-use plastics Business should drive any new transition to the New Plastics
economy can provide an economic incentive to keep Economy. After all, many of the world’s largest companies
plastics in such a system, and in turn would help benefit from plastic without having to compensate society
decrease leakage, the Foundation says. The plastic for the material’s decades-long environmental costs.
industry also needs to work on improving collection
infrastructure in emerging markets, researchers Calls for extended producer liability, which puts the
insist. onus for collecting and recycling on businesses instead of
consumers and municipal governments, would be a start.
3. In a reversal of how the industry grew over the past So far, however, there has been little movement in that
several decades,plastics must also be decoupled from direction. And business often paints such measures as
fossil fuels by researching and incorporating more excessive regulation. That being said, governments and
renewabable sources of feedstocks. other stakeholders in the plastics industry have shown they
can play an important role in the transition. The evidence
The need for next-gen plastics indicates a growing recognition from governments around
the world that they can take the lead on a new plastics
The use of new feedstocks, such as those derived from economy. The alternative for governments is business as
plant-based sources or waste (ideally recycled plastics usual: Spend taxpayer funds on collecting and sequestering
or organic refuse). But one hurdle for the industry is the plastic waste.
confusion between conventional plastics and those made
from renewable sources. Over the past year, we’ve seen a surge of regulatory action
on plastics circularity. Dozens of landmark regulations
Some plant-based plastics can be composted; others can were introduced around the world, notably citizens’
be recycled along with conventionally manufactured approval of restrictions on single-use carrier bags in
materials. The reality, however, is that the various forms California in this month’s election. Across the pond,
of plastic we see in stores are different formulations of almost a year ago, the European Commission announced
resin that can’t yet be recycled together. Plastics are its Circular Economy Action Plan, which aims to stimulate
now designated by seven resin codes, which you’ll notice the region’s transition to a more closed-loop system.
between the chasing arrows on plastic packaging, including
the “anything goes” plastic No. 7 (a catch-all code for While many businesses will complain about these new
resins such as nylon and acrylic). restrictions, the truth is that they can force companies
to become more innovative – and perhaps even arrive at
“It is important to distinguish between where a material new revenue streams as a result of their efforts.
comes from (whether it is either renewably-sourced or
fossil fuel-based) and where it is destined to go to, as in Hence the Ellen MacArthur Foundation is bullish on the
if it is ultimately recyclable, compostable, or neither,” prospects for plastic. The business community’s willingness
Opsomer told us. to reevaluate plastics is higher than ever, as more
companies realize that greater standardization in both
Again, this is a result of a highly fragmented plastics design and collection systems is overall more efficient in
industry. More standardization would certainly help. moving society toward a circular system.
Contamination is also a concern with new, and often
45 • December 2016 • Plastics News
