It is now a little over a century since plastic started to play a dominant role in our lives. As a highly versatile polymer, plastic is practically everywhere we turn. But once created, it refuses to go away. When it is not disposed of in the right way, it starts to pollute air, water and land.
With an annual global output of around 460 million tonnes, we produce nearly as much plastic as rice and less than 10 per cent of that is recycled. A vast majority ends up in landfills and several more millions tonnes enter water systems causing serious long-term damage to our marine ecosystem too.
Globally, 46 per cent of plastic is generated by the packaging industry. In India, it is around 24 per cent according a 2017 estimate provided by CIPET (Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering & Technology). Without plastic (packaging), food wastage will reach unimaginable levels in a tropical country like India.
Recycling, still low
So how do we make the best use of plastic without letting it deteriorate the quality of our lives? Recycling is the answer, but that is easier said than done. A recent OECD report showed that globally the average rate of recycling plastic is just around 9 per cent with even in the US recycling only 4 per cent of its plastic waste (it is around 13 per cent in India).
Why is the global recycling rate so low? Among the top reasons is unsegregated plastic waste entering the ecosystem that ends up in landfills and water systems (rivers, oceans, etc). Segregating plastic waste at a local community level and processing needs planning, investment and precise execution. Despite several attempts in the past, segregation of plastic at household level has remained largely unsuccessful. Further, not all plastic packaging can be recycled and the awareness about this among common consumers is woefully low.
In a circular economy, plastic waste either goes back to the manufacturers of packaging materials as raw material to produce new packaging material or produce other commonly used household plastic products.
Manufacturers of consumer products have a big role in ensuring the circular economy essential for successful recycling of plastic works efficiently. Rising consumer awareness around the plastic ecosystem, from generation to successful recycling is a good start. But we need to go beyond and create an efficient segregation and collection mechanism to deliver it to the recycling plant and close the cycle by increasing the use of recycled plastic.
We cannot blame plastic if we fail to use it responsibly. And it is about time, brands got their hands a bit dirtier and deliver a little more than pulpit talk.
The writer is co-founder and CEO, Akshayakalpa Organic