Reducing unnecessary single-use plastics and packaging is a hot topic at the moment with lot's of public pressure to take action. There are a lot of plastic alternatives which can also come with their own issues so we look at your products and services through audits and service design workshops  to recommend the most suitable options available. ​

The issue with plastics

Plastic is an incredible material in that it is so versatile and so durable. It also has significant limitations especially; in it's application as a single-use packaging material. But other materials also have limitations and many of the plastic-alternatives don't solve the issues of plastic which are:

• It is made from a fossil fuel- oil mixed with chemicals
• Every piece of plastic ever made still exists
• If it becomes litter it is dangerous to habitats and wildlife- birds ingesting plastic starve to death as it fills their stomachs
• It leaches chemicals and hormones which bio-accumulate and cause problems for the reproduction of fish and mammals
•  Only plastics 1-5 can easily be recycled
• Only a small % of plastics are actually recycled.  Even in the UK where we have good recycling infrastructure, of the 13 billion plastic bottles used in a year,  5.5 billion are not which is 15 million every day!
• Unlike aluminium cans, many plastics don't get recycled back into their original form, they get down-cycled into something that can't be recycled again

Oxodegradable Plastics

Although the name sounds great, oxydegradable straws and plastic bags should be avoided at all costs. In fact the EU will be banning them by 2020. In terms of it's lifecycle:

• It is made from oil
• It breaks down into small micro-plastic particles when exposed to sunlight and oxygen
• It can't be recycled

Compostable Plastics 

The word 'compostable' evokes images of vegetables rotting on a compost bin, but even though compostable plastics (PLA) are made from plants they need to be industrially composted which requires pre-organising with an in-vessel composting facility and is unlikely for on-the-go materials. In terms of the lifecycle:

• Compostable plastics are generally made from corn-starch or from sugarcane bi-products, so aren't made from oil. Cornstarch PLA can't be certified as organic as they can't prove if GMO corn has been used.
• If they end up as litter, they won't start composting so they can still be injested by mammals and birds
• If they end up in a general waste bin and go to landfill they won't compost
• If they go in a compost bin and go to an anaerobic digester they wont be processed as the process doesn't create the conditions they require to compost
• If you are an event or on a closed site you must arrange for them to be sent to an in-vessel composter and  guarantee that your waste stream is not contaminated with oil-based plastics.  

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You can read more in an article Livvy wrote for Bristol 247 'Are Bioplastics the solution to plastic pollution'  looking at the scenario of disposing compostable plastics in Bristol, which can apply to many other cities.  

Bioplastics

Again this word conjures up ideas of being plant-based or biodegradable. The term bio-plastic has confusingly been assigned to plastics that are made from oil that break-down, or plastics made from non-oil materials that don't degrade!  Therefore their lifecycle is quite confusing and it is important to think where these materials could end up:

• If they get put in a town-centre or home bin they will go to landfill or waste to energy
• If they get put in a compost bin they will get pulled out and burnt as there is no way of a composting facility being sure what is a 'compostable' plastic vs a non-degradable one
• If they end up as litter, if they are most likely to remain in tact and run the risk of harming wildlife 

Biodegradable and compostable plastics do not prevent plastic waste in oceans and thus are not an acceptable alternative. And a complete ban on oxo-degradable plastics (a source of microplastic pollution) by 2020.                            EU Environment Committee, July 2018 
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Paper and cardboard

Paper and cardboard are deemed to be natural so they are often seen to be better, although things like coffee cups and boxes are often lined with plastic, or PLA. Also the process of producing paper and cardboard is resource intensive, in regards of the lifecyle we need to consider:

• Virgin paper and cardboard requires a large quantity of water and chemicals for production and unless paper is FSC/PEFC certified it may not come from managed forests. 
  
• Products made from recycled content or bi-products from another industry such as bagasse have a lower footprint at the production point
  
• If cardboard or paper are disposed in general waste bins, they could end up in landfill where they will give off methane (at least 20 times more harmful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide). Or they will end up being burned for waste to energy.
• Cardboard with food on it generally can't be recycled so will end up being burned for waste to energy.
  
• If it goes in a compost bin for collection, it is most likely to be pulled out and burned for energy as too much dry matter slows down the process of composting
• Coffee cups have to go to a special processing facility, there are around four in the UK. Starbucks takes back cups and sends for recycling 
  
• If paper or cardboard becomes litter such as straws they will disintegrate in water and on land with rain (as long as they have no plastic or PLA lining.   

Reusable options

Of course there are many different materials that make a reusable box, cup or packaging, so this is a general lifecycle consideration:

• Because reusables are often thicker and more substantial their initial production may be more resource intensive. But the repeated use soon reduces those impacts. e.g. a plastic reusable bar cup at a festival needs to be used 2.5 times to be less resource intensive than its single-use counterpart.  Although things like 'Bags for Life' and cotton tote bags need to be used hundreds of times.   
• If something that is reusable becomes litter it is unlikely that it will biodegrade or break down, so it can be harmful (depending on it's material), however the point is that because it is reusable and it has been purchased people will look after it better.
• The end of life will again depend on the material and the advice for processing.

Working together
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We can support you with:

• Plastics and packaging audits
• Packaging and materials advise
• Training for your team

​Contact us