COVID-19 exacerbates plastic waste: Researchers advocate biodegradables, EPR and chemical recycling

14 Oct 2021 --- International researchers are advocating for governments to ensure plastic waste generated during the COVID-19 pandemic is more efficiently collected, segregated and recycled. 

Crucially, the COVID-19 pandemic has not only stalled legislation to reduce plastic waste, but also exacerbated plastic consumption, particularly personal protective equipment (PPE) and home food delivery packaging. 

A new research article estimates approximately 400 million metric tons of plastic waste was produced globally in 2019. However, the estimated waste volume reached over 530 million metric tons in the first seven months of the COVID-19 outbreak (December 2019 to June 2020), suggesting the plastic waste total for 2020 would be at least double that of 2019.

PackagingInsights speaks with article authors Dr. Xiangzhou Yuan and Professor Yong Sik Ok from the Korea Biochar Research Center at Korea University in Seoul. They share their perspectives on strategies to advance the circular economy, including biodegradable plastics, chemical recycling and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).

Biodegradable best?
According to the Nature Reviews-published article, takeaway and home delivery services generated 1.21 million metric tons of plastic waste from April to May 2020 during the lockdown in Singapore alone. Large pieces of plastic waste, including protective masks, can break into microplastics (>100 nm and <5 mm) and nanoplastics (<100 nm).

“Biodegradable plastics are a promising future technology,” Ok underscores. “For example, it is estimated that approximately 1.56 billion face masks, or roughly 5.66 million metric tons of plastic, ended up in oceans worldwide in 2020. If all these face masks are biodegradable, environmental pollution could be mitigated to a great extent.”

A proposed shift toward a circular plastic economy.According to Innova Market Insights, 41% of global consumers believe biodegradable packaging’s end-of-life disposal is the “most eco-friendly” solution.

“However, full techno-economic and environmental footprint assessments for industrial-scale applications are needed before [biodegradable plastics] are broadly implemented,” Ok emphasizes.

“Industries should provide exhaustive information of the biodegradable plastic stream flow to related researchers and policymakers so appropriate techno-socio-economic analyses can be conducted to formulate policies.” 

Complementing mechanical recycling
A shift in waste management practices is therefore urgently needed to close the plastic loop, requiring governments, researchers and industries to work toward intelligent design and sustainable upcycling,” says Yuan. 

He adds chemical recycling is “well developed” compared to enzymatic technologies, with both of these nascent recycling technologies complementing mechanical recycling. Ok predicts chemical recycling will be “comparable” to mechanical recycling in the next several years.

“Advanced and efficient catalytic conversion routes for plastic waste upcycling offer opportunities to enhance the profitability from both environmental and resource-recovery viewpoints,” says Yuan. 

“An integrated mechanical and chemical recycling process could be needed for the disposal of plastic PPE in the immediate future. Moreover, more effective use of current waste management technologies should be leveraged with government incentives to efficiently reach the goal of generating zero-plastic pollution.”

End-of-life plastic PPE should ultimately be designed to be “completely degraded or properly upcycled” for value-added applications rather than “being mismanaged.” 

Technological breakthroughs are needed to create a closed-loop plastic society, starting at the design stage and up through disposal and environmental recovery.Legislative pushes
To support recycling infrastructure and implement single-use legislation, EPR comes into play. 

EPR mechanisms and single-use legislation are “well adapted and established,” Ok adds, but governments could provide more incentives to achieve zero plastic pollution.

Innova Market Insights data highlights 45.18% of global consumers think governments and regulatory bodies are most effective in solving the global plastic pollution crisis, slightly ahead of packaging suppliers (44.85%). 

In previous interviews, PackagingInsights explored governmental EPR moves in the US, UK and EU, while also moderating a side event of the World Circular Economy Forum highlighting EPR strategies in South Africa and Vietnam. 

By Anni Schleicher

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