Self-regulation & greenwashing
Self-regulation and greenwashing are two strategies widely used by the plastic industry to avoid taking actions against plastic production.
Lightweight plastic packaging
The society which relies on convenience, the disposable society, has been the main contributor to the problem of the plastic soup. Some 40% of all plastic that is produced is lightweight plastic packaging, plastic that gets used only once and for on average 20 minutes before being thrown away. Much discarded plastic ends up in the ocean and it comes from products sold by multinational companies. The solution needs to come from them. The problem of the plastic soup will not be solved without their buy-in. One of the promises that the multinationals have made in the past is to reduce the weight of their packaging.
Lightweight plastic does not help
A reduction in the weight of plastic packaging does not influence the likelihood that it will end up in the ocean. If the lighter packaging enters the environment after usage, it will, in fact, break down into smaller pieces more quickly than packaging that is thicker and stronger. But that’s not the only problem caused by the seemingly good intentions of companies to reduce the weight of their packaging. If less plastic is used per package — for example thinner PET water bottles — it does not mean that the producer will use less plastic in total. On the contrary, as these companies strive to increase their sales, the number of packaging units is likely to increase. The biggest problem here is caused by mini-packages. In countries where consumers have less buying power, companies like Unilever and Danone sell small packages with a very small amount of a given product (e.g. shampoo, body wash, washing powder or coffee) inside. Whatever the product may be, there is proportionately a lot more packaging material used compared to when larger or ‘bulk’ product sizes are used, even if it is lightweight plastic. To achieve a real reduction in plastic, it is essential to move to a system in which the consumer takes their own reusable container to the shop to be refilled.
Analysis by Brand
There is an easy way to see which multinationals contribute the most to the plastic soup: when you come across a piece of litter in the gutter or at the beach, have a look at the branding on the packaging. Such an analysis took place in 2018 on a larger scale: The Brand Audit Report analysed brands based on 239 litter clean-ups in 42 countries. The top three most-encountered brands for plastic pollution were Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Nestlé. Greenpeace investigated the amount of single-use plastic packaging sold by the eleven most polluting brands. It was revealed that the companies selling the most products were the same as those whose items were most-found during litter clean-ups. The report further had the following recommendations for the multinational companies:
- Embrace yearly reduction targets for plastic packaging with total elimination as a goal.
- Be totally transparent with regard to the total amount of plastic used, not only per item.
- Start to eliminate problematic and unnecessary plastic, such as mini-packages, immediately.
- Invest in the re-use of bottles and containers and innovate/develop the necessary logistics.
Read more
Compostable plastic
What is the problem with biodegradable plastic and what are compostable plastics? Learn more about the differents bio-based plastics.
Consumer Behaviour
Campaigns based on consumer behaviour are flourishing to fight against plastic waste pollution. But what does it mean, and does it work?
Recycling Myth
The process of recycling plastic is not a solution against plastic pollution, mostly because recycling plastic is a myth.
