Waste prevention first: Recycling is last resort in “lucrative” circular economy, says Zero Waste Scotland Policy Advisor

In this sustainability-focused interview, Michael Lenaghan, Zero Waste Scotland Environmental Policy Advisor and Packaging Innovations 2019 keynote speaker shares his insights on the UK’s drive for more eco-friendly packaging and the development of circular material economies. Lenaghan describes his preference for reusable packaging over recycling, the potential of Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) and Scotland’s “transformative” Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). Zero Waste Scotland is an environmental agency focused on creating a society where resources are valued and waste is eliminated. The agency is supported by the Scottish Government to help achieve its circular economy strategy, which includes three national targets: reduce food waste by 33 percent, recycle 70 percent of all waste and send no more than 5 percent of remaining waste to landfill, all by 2025.

What do you anticipate to be the major themes at Packaging Innovations 2019 in London?
Lenaghan: There are three topics that I’m particularly looking forward to. Firstly, the use of LCA to holistically redesign service delivery and product systems. This is a very hot topic in the packaging industry, however, use of LCA has focused largely on comparing alternate packaging products and materials within an otherwise unchanged system. Secondly, “biodegradable” packaging – this is one of the biggest changes in the packaging sector and it is creating major ramifications downstream. Are these new materials here to stay, and if so, what changes in infrastructure, labeling, consumer awareness and behavior do we need to ensure these materials actually achieve their promised environmental benefits? Lastly, I’m hoping to hear more about reuse and how we can design quality packaging that consumers actually want to use over and over, not just in the original application, but for new ones. What new marketing opportunities does this open up for savvy and innovating brands?

How would you like to see LCA improved and enhanced?
Lenaghan: LCA is of course critical, however, too often its use is limited to material switching and the search for “single-use solutions to the single-use problem.” What’s really exciting is when firms use LCA to holistically integrate circular economy thinking into their business model; for example, switching from a single-use disposable model to a refill model. We know that prevention offers by far the greatest circular economy benefits, so we need to make that our first goal, and material switching or product tweaking a last resort, not the first. In a circular economy, recycling is the least-best option, and this presents a real challenge for the packaging industry where single-use remains the norm. For those firms willing to think outside the bin, however, it’s also a major opportunity for innovation. Also, we need to ensure quality and trust in our privately funded LCAs. There are too many examples of LCAs being designed to produce a desirable result. Similarly, it is important to “future proof” our analysis by taking into account known mega-trends such as grid and transport decarburization. Otherwise, our LCA will represent a fleeting snapshot in time that is quickly outdated.

What are some of Zero Waste Scotland’s most exciting recent circular economy projects?
Lenaghan: We recently launched the Circular Economy Accelerator, a digital resource for businesses to maximize on the lucrative circular economy. To help eradicate disposable plastics and other materials at events, community spaces or within businesses, we also recently announced the Action on Plastics project. The overall aim is to follow the waste hierarchy, which can include reducing disposable items altogether, using reusable items where possible then recycling any remaining single-use items. Businesses with ideas on how to beat waste from disposable items were encouraged to apply to the tender and now an assessment process is underway. After testing in real-life situations, it is hoped successful projects can be replicated elsewhere. It has the potential to deliver real change in our aim to reduce society’s reliance on single-use items and we are excited to share what we learn through our collaboration with community groups. Our Revolve program is another great example as there is an immediate climate change impact with the reuse of materials. Revolve is a quality standard scheme for second-hand and reuse stores which assures customers they are buying high-quality products. Second-hand shopping is thriving in Scotland as more people are turning their backs on fast fashion in favor of sustainable clothes made to last.

Zero Waste Scotland reported that nearly 31,000 plastic bottles could vanish from Scotland’s natural environment thanks to the forthcoming DRS. What are the advantages of the Scottish DRS?
Lenaghan: Scotland’s DRS will transform how we recycle single-use drinks containers and deliver big benefits for our environment. It will increase recycling of single-use drinks containers from around half to 90 percent, reducing emissions of CO2e by 160,000 tons every year in the process. It will also increase the quality of recycling in Scotland, with more items being recycled into items of the same use or quality – for example, bottles being recycled back into bottles. This is a particular benefit to industry, which has an increasing demand for recycled content of high quality. Zero Waste Scotland supported the Scottish Government on the design of the scheme and one of our main areas of focus was accessibility. Consumers will be able to return their empty drinks containers to any retailer or hospitality business that sells drinks in single-use containers to take away. This will help make returning your empty container as easy as buying the drink was in the first place. We are hopeful that the bold approach we are taking here in Scotland will provide a blueprint for future action across the UK.

How can the rest of the UK learn from the successes of Scotland’s waste management initiatives?
Lenaghan: When it comes to tackling food waste, Scotland has taken the lead by putting effective measures into place. Food waste recycling bins were rolled out in most of the country following the introduction of the Waste (Scotland) Regulations in 2012. As it stands, around 80 percent of households now have access to food waste recycling. These same regulations required businesses producing more than 5kg of food waste per week to present their food waste separately for recycling. We have recently seen an increase in food waste recycling which has been helped by the regulations.

In contrast, carrier bag consumption has plummeted in Scotland since the regulations were brought in. Scotland introduced a minimum 5p charge for single-use carrier bags on 20 October 2014. The charge aims to influence consumer behavior and reduce the number of single-use carrier bags given out in shops. Before the charge was introduced, around 800 million single-use bags were used in the major Scottish grocery retailers alone each year, with the number increasing in recent years. Our estimates in 2015 show that single-use carrier bag usage in the grocery sector has been reduced by around 80 percent since launch – equivalent to at least 650 million fewer bags being handed out annually.We are hopeful that the bold approach we are taking here in Scotland will provide a blueprint for future action across the UK.

Regulatory action is putting pressure on manufacturers to increase their use of recycled plastic, but how can the obstacles of cost-effectiveness and availability be overcome while maintaining economic sustainability?
Lenaghan: We need to consider the supply and demand for recycled plastics together. Actions to stimulate demand, such as increased recycled content in packaging, are important but collection and treatment processes need to align to provide the required materials. Increasing reprocessing capacity in the UK is a necessary step, as is improving the quality of material collected for recycling. Scotland’s DRS will help provide higher quality for the targeted materials, including PET.

UK recycling and waste management infrastructure are reported to be poor and inconsistent across the UK, and certainly lagging behind European standards. Do you agree with this opinion and can it be improved?
Lenaghan: Standards of waste management infrastructure vary significantly across Europe, so it would be wrong to say that the UK’s infrastructure lags behind European standards. However, it is fair to say that there is insufficient reprocessing capacity in the UK to deal with some materials. There is also scope for greater consistency in how materials are collected for recycling, both from households and from businesses. This would allow for clearer messaging as to what can and can't be recycled.

In what ways can the public help minimize the problem of packaging pollution?
Lenaghan: The public has the power to reduce pollution by buying products loose where possible or with reusable or recyclable packaging. As well as the environmental implications, there is also a cost factor involved as the separate price for single-use packaging is usually hidden when we pay for groceries. There is a need for greater transparency, so people know what they’re paying for and why. Our research has shown that the collective economic cost to Scottish consumers of single-use packaging is £600 million (US$664 million). On a positive note, more waste minimization stores are popping up across Scotland where customers can bring in their own reusable containers and fill up on loose products, such as pasta, rice and vegetables.

What is the key takeaway of your seminar at Packaging Innovations 2019?
Lenaghan: All the functional features of single-use packaging can be replicated through reusable alternatives. The question is, how do we redesign systems to deliver these alternatives?

On a personal level, what are you hoping to learn or discover at the show?
Lenaghan: What leading brands are going to go beyond recycled content and recyclability, to truly embed circular economy thinking into their packaging products and service systems? What challenges have they faced and how have they overcome these?

By Joshua Poole