A Plastic Planet symbolizes an intensifying plastics debate: Packaging Innovations 2018

18 Sep 2018 --- A Plastic Planet – an organization which openly advocates a 100 percent discontinuation of plastics in food and beverage packaging – could be found tucked away in a far corner of the Packaging Innovations show in London last week. The major theme of the show was the ongoing plastics conversation, epitomized by the widely attended The Big Plastics Debate, in which industry-leading figures debated the role of plastics in a more sustainable future. Meanwhile, the team at A Plastic Planet came armed with its famed Plastic Free Aisle exhibit and a wall full of “Plastic Free” trust marks in a clear indication of its stance.

PackagingInsights sat down with Sian Sutherland, Co-Founder at A Plastic Planet, during the show to discuss the organization's ambitions.

“A Plastic Planet has one goal: to ignite and inspire the world to turn off that plastic tap. We don’t talk about recycling plastics or circular economies – we focus on one sector which is food and beverage and the excessive use of plastic packaging for our food and drink. It constitutes 40 percent of all plastic, so imagine if we could turn off that tap and the difference it would make to our world,” explains Sutherland.

Sutherland reaffirms the organizations zero tolerance towards plastics in food and beverage packaging: “We are not about demonizing plastics – it is an incredible material. It lasts for centuries, but we are treating it like rubbish, we’re throwing it in the ocean. We’ve taken this miraculous material and we are misusing it. For us, using plastics for food and drink is a misuse.”

She continues: “There are many other uses for plastics that we will continue to need and we must keep those in a tight loop. Food and beverage packaging, however, is valueless, too difficult to collect, often contaminated by food or by printing – this is the plastic that we should be avoiding in future.”

The Plastic Free Aisle
A Plastic Planet caused big ripples in the packaging industry and the world’s media with the launch of the world’s first plastic-free aisle at Ekoplaza in Amsterdam. PackagingInsights asked Sutherland about what impact these aisles, and exhibit aisles like the one at the Packaging Innovations show, could have on consumer perceptions towards plastics.

“A Plastic Planet is good at creating campaigns that become catalysts for change. Our first campaign was launching the world’s first plastic-free aisle at Ekoplaza in Amsterdam. When we opened that aisle in a small corner in West Amsterdam, the amount of worldwide media attention we received was extraordinary – I personally did 55 media interviews in 24 hours. It symbolizes that the public was interested in this."

“We can’t change if we don’t have choice, and right now we know that we want to use less plastic, and yet you go to the supermarket and it’s almost like we are being force-fed this plastic. Our campaign is really about providing choice in a world where you can buy everything free: fat-free, gluten-free, dairy-free,” she says.

The “Plastic Free” trust mark
A Plastic Planet is equally famed for introducing a “Plastic Free” trust mark, designed to provide the busy and eco-conscious consumer with a clear indication of packaging which is plastic-free while shopping.

“Our Plastic Planet consumer trust mark is very different to anything you will normally see on the back of pack because it isn’t about recycling, it’s for the consumer, not for industry,” says Sutherland. “It’s on the front of pack and tells the consumer just one thing: this packaging is plastic-free and therefore guilt-free.”

According to a recent Which? survey, the wide array of symbols on household and food packaging is leaving British consumers feeling confused about what can and cannot be recycled.

A Plastic Planet believes its “Plastic Free” trust mark helps consumers avoid confusion and make quick buying decisions. Sutherland says the organization is aiming to roll out the trust mark worldwide.

Alternatives to plastic
There has been an increase in plastic alternatives, with biodegradable and compostable solutions expanding and diversifying. Packaging Innovations showcased Futamura’s plastic-free 100 percent compostable crisp packet in its show gallery, for example.

Sutherland believes that at the moment there is no straight swap for plastics, particularly because plastic is the most subsidized material in the world, a point highlighted by Hasso von Pogrell, Managing Director of European Bioplastics (EUBP) in a recent interview with PackagingInsights.

“Plastic has become the default and it is very hard for brands and the industry at large to change. But wherever there is change, there is tremendous opportunity, and you will see at the fair today how extraordinary plastic-free innovations are,” says Sutherland.

“There are so many new materials coming out now that are plant-derived or marine-derived like algae, materials which nature can handle. We know that nature cannot handle plastic which is why we need to turn off the plastic tap,” she concludes.

Plastic advocates generally agree considerable change is needed to tackle the scourge of global plastic pollution and ideals of circular economy and optimized recycling systems and infrastructure are widely touted. Such advocates highlight the positive net environmental impact of plastics relative to other popular materials, in addition to its benefits in preventing food waste.

A Plastic Planet has intensified the debate around plastics, calling for a complete eradication within the food and beverage sector. Through the Plastic Free Aisle and the “Plastic Free” trust mark, they are communicating directly with the consumer to show how it can be achieved in a practical sense. Whether a total eradication of plastics is desirable is still largely debated, but A Plastic Planet is certainly bringing this debate forward.

By Joshua Poole