Page 33 - Plastics News November 2020

1 to 2 million tons of US plastic trash goes astray Auckland Council supports phase-out of single-
use plastics
study in the journal Science Advances found that
Abetween 1.2 million and 2.5 million tons (1.1
uckland Council has expressed support for the
million to 2.2 million metric tons) of plastic generated
Aproposal of phasing-out single-use plastics,
in the U.S. were dropped on land, rivers, lakes and
especially those that are cheap and hard to recycle.
oceans as litter, were illegally dumped or shipped
The opinion follows a report that provided
abroad then not properly disposed of. According to the
recommendations on opportunities to standardise
article in the study The United States' contribution of
domestic kerbside collections of waste in New Zealand.
plastic waste to land and ocean; high-income countries
WasteMINZ prepared the report for the country's
such as the United States and members of the European
Ministry for the Environment. Environment and Climate
Union (EU-28) also had large plastic emissions to the
Change Committee chair Councillor Richard Hills said:
“There are plenty of viable materials, including higher-
quality plastics that can easily be substituted for these
single-use items. Avoiding waste in the first place is far
better than relying on recycling.” In August, the New
Zealand Government also proposed the phase-out of
seven single-use plastic items. The items include
plastic cotton-buds, drink stirrers, plastic plates,
bowls, cutlery, single-use cups and lids, single-use
produce bags, non-compostable produce stickers and
ocean in 2010, according to Jambeck et al. (hereafter plastic straws. Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said: “When
“2010 analysis”). Despite having robust waste
management systems, the large coastal populations
and very high per capita waste generation rates in
these high-income countries together resulted in large
amounts of mismanaged waste due only to litter
(estimated 2% of waste generation) that is available to
enter the ocean. According to the 2010 analysis, the
U.S. coastal population generated the highest mass of
plastic waste of any country (13.8 Mt, 112.9 million
people), whereas coastal populations in EU-28
countries collectively produced even more plastic
waste (14.8 Mt, 187.3 million people). The next highest
cheap plastics are used in manufacturing, our
country in coastal plastic waste generation was China
environment pays the price. “As we saw with the ban on
(11.6 Mt per day, 262.9 million people). Further, the
single-use plastic bags, consumers are ready for better
United States is the second largest exporter of plastic
alternatives, and by consulting on these changes, we
scrap globally. If imported material is not properly
can work together to eliminate waste. Plastic is less
managed in the receiving country, environmental
than 6% of the annual kerbside recycling in Auckland.
inputs of plastic waste generated in the United States
“We are upgrading Auckland Council's recycling facility
may be much higher than previously assessed. From
now in tandem with New Zealand plastic plants who are
2010 to 2016, global plastic production increased 26%
modernising to process more plastic recyclables
from 334 to 422 Mt and the proportion of plastics in
solid waste grew from 10 to 12% globally, reaching 242 onshore. But, eliminating single-use plastics altogether
Mt in 2016. is still preferable to recycling them.”

NOVEMBER 2020 33 Plastics News