Plastic Recycling may not be the Only Solution

The use of plastics has replaced the use of many other materials such as glass, wood, and ceramics over the past 50 years. The increased production and consumerism of plastics, coupled with our lack of effective collection and recycling of plastic waste such as disposed single-use plastic bags, straws and plastic bottles are now polluting many of our ecosystems. Since 1950 to 2018, about 6.3 billion tonnes of plastics have been produced worldwide, 9% of which has been successfully recycled and 12% incinerated. Annually 380 million metric ton is produced globally of which only 20% is recycled. Poor waste management across many countries has led to major ocean pollution. 3% of the globe’s annual waste ends up in the ocean. Plastics are entering our terrestrial water bodies and pose a threat to our drinking water supplies, while the abundant plastic pollution in our oceans are being consumed by marine life leading to bioaccumulation in these organisms threatening our food chains and leading to the death of marine life. Of all the waste generated in Africa it is estimated that 70–80% of the waste is recyclable, yet only 4% of MSW is currently recycled. Simple daily activities that we do not even think twice about are also contributing to the problem such as the increased abundance of micro fibres from our clothes released during our weekly laundry routines and the microbeads found in our daily cosmetic products are also being found amongst marine litter and microplastics being lodged in marine life intestines and act as a vessel for other biotoxins to be consumed. But the real question is, is the problem with the presence and continued production of these products or rather the waste management of these products once disposed of?

There is a great push to collect and recycle plastics already in circulation, however many of these materials cannot be recycled. Items and materials such as singleuse plastics bags, nappies, take away coffee cups, Polystyrene (foam), bubble wrap and medical waste cannot be recycled. So even with our best efforts to recycle and reduce the plastic waste filling up landfills or polluting our lands, rivers, and oceans our efforts would prove futile. We also cannot rely on recycling alone as most plastics can only be recycled once or twice. None the less effective collection and management of plastic waste is still important and better uses for plastic waste needs to be found. In many countries where they are not able to recycle the plastics themselves, they often export collected plastics to other countries to be recycled. There are various innovative solutions and initiatives to reuse these plastic waste items to create new products that can be reused over and over again. Fashion fishing nets used for dresses, melting plastic products, combining additives, and then using the mixture to pave roadways, eco-bricks: reusable building blocks for a number of purposes like building tables, beds, stages or even walls. In South Africa even a school was built from Eco-bricks. Recycled plastics are being used to create shelters for refugees and homeless people etc.

However there needs to an overall change in behaviour of people with regards to the appropriate disposal of plastic waste and preventative measures need to be put in place to prevent polluting and littering. There needs to be a greater incentive for consumers to buy sustainable products made out or recyclable or biodegradable products and also a reduction in price for these products. While a heavier price should be placed on the continued use of single use non-recyclable products through heavy taxes or increased prices under the push for ‘polluters pay’.

Big producer and consumer companies of plastics should be held responsible for coming up with effective management of the disposal and waste produced by their products that are harmful to the environment. Recyclable plastics should be used more over non-recyclable plastics, or an alternative type of material should be used, preferably products and materials that last longer and reusable. The ultimate change needed to tackle the global plastic pollution lies with the polluter and social awareness and behaviour and willingness to power will always lie the consumer.

Readings:

https://clinmedjournals.org/articles/ijtra/international-journal-oftoxicology-and-risk-assessment-ijtra-5-021.php?jid=ijtra https://ourworldindata.org/plasticpollution#:~:text=The%20world%20now% 20produces%20more,our%20natural%20environment%20and%20oceans. https://ourworldindata.org/plastic-pollution https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/30975/Africa_WMO _Poster.pdf https://www.17goalsmagazin.de/en/9-innovations-to-up-cycle-plasticwaste/