Ever since the formation of the SA Plastics Pact in 2020, we’ve been asked to provide a collective view of citizen campaigns like “Plastic Free July”. As a collective, the members of the SA Plastics Pact are working to create a circular economy for plastic packaging in the country; an economy that recognises and values well designed plastic and has the collection schemes and technologies required to collect, sort, recycle & (re)manufacture and (re)distribute plastic packaging for many, many lifecycles. At the centre of this thinking is a recognition for the many jobs that can be created across the plastic packaging value chain.
With the above in mind, there are a number of messages we wish to emphasise:
- Plastic is highly versatile and possesses a number of qualities which often make it the most appropriate and environmentally sustainable choice for a huge variety of needs.
- The qualities that make plastic so useful, including it’s durability, are the same qualities that make it problematic if it leaches out of the economy and into the environment.
- Some plastics are poorly designed. Design flaws can include: that they are designed for single use, that they require the use of harmful substances, or that they are unlikely to be collected and recycled (for something to be readily recycled we need an economy that possesses the technologies necessary to ensure collection and recycling of the items concerned AND we need a market that demands the recyclate (ie a market that will pay for the collection and recycling costs)).
- Consumers have a role to play in the establishment of a circular economy for plastic packaging.
Over the next five weeks we will be running our Responsible Plastic July campaign. If you have an comments, questions feedback, please contact us using this email.
Our campiagn kicks off in earnets, below!
In a healthy circular economy, well designed plastics play a critical role in improving our lives and creating jobs, whilst also remaining out of the environment
Plastics, designed and used in the right way, are incredibly useful and are often the best choice in terms of resource use (shelf life, production, resource use & hygene considerations).
Different products require different packaging qualities that relate to the extent to which light, odours and air can pass through it. Some products require rigid packaging whilst others may require flexible packaging.
Consider, for example, how we package fabric softer compared with bleach? When you buy fabric softener, do you smell the tube to pick the scent you like the best? We bet you do. But do you do the same with bleach? We think you probably don’t. Different products require different packaging properties.
In general, lighter packaging also means easier transportation and, consequently, reduced emissions associated with transport. In many instances, plastic packaging is therefore the very best option, provided that the plastic material is retained within the economy.
For example, the right kind of packaging can help to extend the shelf life of food, thereby reducing the risk that perishable food items, which require significant resources to produce and logistics to transport, remain fresher for longer.
Some packaging, like tupperware, allows us to keep food frozen or safely stored, preventing contamination and extending shelflife. It can also be reused over and over again. These kind of innovations allow us to prevent unnecessary waste of food and other products we use, thereby playing a key role in a more sustainable, resource efficient economy.
So, what can you do?
#ResponsiblePlasticJuly #circulareconomy #plasticpackaging
