Plastics-out trend could open packaging’s Pandora’s box, anonymized Green Alliance interviews reveal

10 Jan 2020 --- Plastic is only the tip of the single-use iceberg, according to a new Green Alliance report, which points the finger at throwaway culture as the root cause of packaging’s environmental scourge. The research, based on anonymized interviews with leading UK supermarkets and brands, warns that in the absence of government direction, “a disjointed and potentially counterproductive approach to solving plastic pollution is emerging.” Most concerningly, the trend towards swapping out plastics for alternative materials may actually lead to higher carbon emissions and lower packaging recyclability, the report stresses.

The report, Plastic promises: What the grocery sector is really doing about packaging, was published as part of the independent think tank’s work for the Circular Economy Task Force. It quotes industry insiders who indicate that companies are replacing plastics packaging without appreciating the potentially greater environmental consequences this transition could cause.

Green Alliance suggests that public pressure is driving the plastics-out trend. More than two years on from the release of Blue Planet II, relatively little has changed, the charity says. In December, an Environmental Investigation Agency report found that, despite public commitments to reduce the use of virgin plastic, the plastic packaging sold by major UK supermarkets had risen to more than 900,000 metric tons annually. At the same time, WRAP revealed that UK businesses are making significant progress in reducing virgin plastic use and improving plastic recycling levels.

“The public is right to be outraged about plastic pollution but what we don’t want is a situation a few years down the line where they are outraged about new environmental problems caused by the alternatives,” explains Libby Peake, Senior Policy Adviser on resources at Green Alliance.Credit: Green Alliance

“We need to address the root of the problem, our throwaway society. Companies need much more help from the government to tackle plastic pollution without making climate change and other environmental impacts worse in the process.”

Peake tells PackagingInsights that she would like to see a lot more emphasis on reduction and support for reuse to reduce the impact of all materials and not just plastic.

“A simple change that would send the right signal could be made in the forthcoming Environment Bill,” she suggests. “The original draft before the election proposed taking powers to charge for ‘single-use plastic’ items – why not extend that power to single-use items of all kinds to encourage more reuse?”

Key (anonymous) quotes from the report

“Consumers… are hugely confused about what ‘bio-based,’ ‘compostable’ and ‘biodegradable’ mean...”
A particular concern is ‘compostable’ or ‘biodegradable’ plastic. Over 80 percent of consumers think this is environmentally friendly, but there is little understanding of what the terms mean and how the material should be dealt with once used, the research concludes.

The interviewees wanted a clearer approach to where it should be used and how it should be marked to avoid causing more problems. Confusion, they worried, could potentially harm the environment if people either put ‘compostable’ plastic in with conventional plastic or litter material, wrongly assuming it will biodegrade in the open environment. Some companies that had tried using this type of plastic also suggested that material did not degrade as expected in real-life conditions.Credit: Green Alliance

“Novel materials like compostable plastics certainly have the potential to improve environmental performance, not least around carbon, but only if they are used in the right situations and don’t wind up in the wrong place,” Peake tells PackagingInsights.

“We think compostable plastic liners for food collection are an obvious place to start, and I can’t understand why home compostable plastic is not the only sort that’s allowed in teabags, for instance.” 

There are a couple of major hurdles that need to be addressed for compostables to succeed, Peake continues. The first relates to standards and infrastructure. At the moment, material is allowed on the market that isn’t certified compostable, which shouldn’t be allowed, she says. What’s more, industrial composters have reportedly indicated to Green Alliance that even certified compostable material – particularly rigid plastics – do not degrade in the current infrastructure.

The other problem is that there is considerable public confusion about what the terms mean and what they should do with the material, Peake adds. “The UN has suggested that using the term ‘biodegradable’ could actually encourage people to litter. So, we should stop using that term and make sure that compostables clearly look different from conventional plastic to make it as simple as possible for people to know what to do with material.”

“We are aware that [by switching from plastic to other materials] we may, in some cases, be increasing our carbon footprint...”
Single-use plastic is being replaced by other single-use packaging, like paper bags and compostable or wooden cutlery. Businesses admit that these decisions are sometimes being made without fully evaluating the environmental impact of the alternatives, the report states.Credit: Green Alliance

“Packaging technology innovations can be quite the competitive advantage in the current climate...”
Despite shared aims and joint commitments from companies in the grocery sector, individual companies are developing their own policies around plastic to gain competitive advantage, which could end up making environmental problems worse, Green Alliance warns.

“If I could have a magic wand, I’d like to see more joined up, top-down government intervention… We would like to see government be braver… ”
Perhaps surprisingly, many companies want the government to have a bigger role in directing future developments and setting standards so action is coherent across the industry.

Supporting quotes for the report

Adam Read, External Affairs Director at SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK: “If we aren’t careful, short term decisions could cause longer term problems for establishing a true circular economy. As the war on plastics continues to rage, avoiding unintended consequences should be at the forefront of everyone’s minds, and that includes government, industry and, of course, consumers. Change must be managed and planned if we’re to move towards fully closed-loop systems for recycling and, more importantly, reuse.”

“That means we need to think much more carefully (and quickly) about how materials like compostable plastic are introduced. We must ensure a system where they are used where they make sense and in a way that people will understand to limit contamination and leakage.”Credit: Green Alliance

Dan Cooke, Head of Sustainability at Viridor: “The often kneejerk reactions of some buyers and brands can cause frustration for recycling companies as they move away from inherently recyclable packaging types into materials like coated cardboard and composites that are less recyclable and that can have a worse environmental impact.

“We work closely with supermarkets and brand owners on recyclability and to align recycling services with their requirements. There’s still an obvious need for improved collaboration and better policy to enable investment in technology and infrastructure that will sustainably raise recycling rates for post-consumer materials.”

Richard Kirkman, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer at Veolia: “This report is a reality check – it shows what's happening with plastics on the ground and why we need to keep a level head. Let's follow the science and ensure producers and consumers make sound material choices in line with the progressive resources and waste strategy.”

What does Green Alliance suggest?

1. Starting with packaging, stop the production of plastic that can’t be reused or recycled; 
2. Reduce the array of plastic types on the market, as these have historically made it hard for the economics of recycling to stack up;
3. Introduce a deposit return scheme for drinks containers of all sizes, which will lead to the collection of high value and high quality, source-separated material; 
4. Implement policies that make recycling more economically attractive. Together with the much needed reform of packaging producer responsibility obligations, the government should implement policies to encourage the use of secondary (recycled) plastic where material is needed, impose taxes on virgin materials (to build on the Treasury’s plastic packaging tax) and create a roadmap to achieve higher minimum recycled content obligations;
5. Standardize recycling collections, as the government has promised to end the “postcode lottery,” where what you can recycle varies from local authority to local authority – this should also help with confusion, Green Alliance advises.

The Circular Economy Task Force is a business-led forum for policy, innovation and business thinking on resource use in the UK. The current members include Kingfisher, PwC, SUEZ, Veolia and Viridor.

By Joshua Poole