Page 38 - Plastics News October 2021

INTERNATIoNAL NEwS

Recyclables A Small Portion Of Marine Litter France To Ban Plastic

Says A Report Packaging For 30

Fruit And Vegetables
single-use plastic items
that can’t actually be
recycled,” Nick Mallos, rance will
senior director of Ocean Fban the
Conservancy’s Trash use of plastic
Free Seas program, packaging on
stated in a press release. around 30 fruit
“To stop the flow of and vegetables
plastics entering our from January
waters, we need to reduce 2022, t he
the amount of single-use government
plastic being produced; has announced. The effort is part of
but we also need to a law to tackle waste that will enter
make sure the plastic into force next year. Around 37%
waste we do produce of fruit and vegetables in France are
isn’t destined for landfills currently sold in plastic packaging.The
nformation gathered through decades or our ocean.” Ocean Conservancy new measure will eliminate around one
Iof coastal cleanups shows the majority has advocated for extended producer billion "unnecessary plastic packages,"
of plastic litter recovered was never responsibility (EPR) policies, recycled- the French environment, agriculture and
recyclable through curbside systems in the content mandates and product bans as finance ministries said.The measure will
first place, according to California based strategies to reduce ocean litter. The concern leeks, courgettes, aubergines,
NGO Ocean Conservancy. The nonprofit 2021 report also pulled findings from peppers, cucumbers, potatoes and
group released its 2021 International last year’s marine litter cleanup, which carrots, round tomatoes, onions
Coastal Cleanup (ICC) report immediately yielded over 8 million items weighing and turnips, cabbages, cauliflowers,
before the start of this year’s ICC event, 5.2 million pounds. The most common squashes, parsnips, radishes, Jerusalem
which began in September. The document items were cigarette butts, followed by artichokes, and root vegetables.
includes takeaways from an analysis plastic beverage bottles, food wrappers, Fruits such as apples, pears, oranges,
of ICC’s database, the world’s largest other trash, plastic bottle caps, plastic kiwis, lemon, citrus, prunes, melon,
marine litter database, according to grocery bags, straws and stirrers, plastic pineapples, mango and others will also
Ocean Conservancy. Over the past 35 takeout containers, aluminum beverage no longer be sold in plastic.
years, volunteers at annual ICC cleanups cans and glass beverage bottles. The The ban will be extended to all fruit
reported to Ocean Conservancy that they 2021 report also noted that one study, and vegetables no later than June
collected 344.5 million pounds of marine published in June 2021, tallied over 12 2026, the environment ministry said,
litter total, the report notes. Of that, million ICC and related data points to in order to find "alternative solutions"
69% was not recyclable through curbside determine that 80% of global litter is to plastic packaging. This would be
collection systems. And nearly half of plastic, dominated by food and beverage for ripe fruits and berries that could
the non-recyclable items were food and items, including bags, wrappers, bottles deteriorate if sold in bulk.The sector's
beverage related, including straws, cutlery and food containers. Deficiencies in inter-professional association Interfel
and takeout food containers, the report the implementation and enforcement criticised the government decision,
stated.“The incredible data collected by of existing international, regional, stating that plastic is currently used
ICC volunteers since 1986 underscores national regulations and standards that to "limit food waste" and it would be
the dual challenges of tackling the could improve the situation, combined difficult to apply by the beginning of
ocean plastic problem: inadequate with a lack of awareness among main the year. Currently around 65% of
waste management that leads to trash stakeholders and the general public, are fruit and vegetables are sold in bulk,
in our environment, and reliance on other major reasons for marine litter. representing "less than 1.5% of plastic
packaging used in the food sector."

38 PLASTICS NEWS OCTOBER 2021 39 PLASTICS NEWS OCTOBER 2021