According to a joint report released by the Environmental Investigation Organization (EIA) and Greenpeace on November 28, despite the British supermarket’s commitment to reduce the use of disposable plastic bags or packaging, sales of reusable plastic bags (bags for life) reached 1.5 billion The amount of plastic waste generated does not decrease but increases.
According to the report, British retailers produced 900,000 tons of plastic waste in 2018, an increase of 19,000 tons from 2017.
The retail industry is highly dependent on disposable plastic packaging, which will further increase pollution and waste of resources. Half of the 5 million tons of plastic consumed in the UK each year is plastic packaging.
Therefore, by significantly reducing the use of disposable plastics and supporting the transition to zero packaging and reuse solutions, supermarkets play a key role in promoting systems that reduce plastic waste.
One of the reasons for the increase in waste plastic: sales of reusable plastic bags have skyrocketed
The report shows that sales of reusable plastic bags have surged by 25% to 1.5 billion, equivalent to 22 per person per year, which is one of the reasons for the increase in plastic waste.
Seven of the 10 largest supermarket chains in the UK said the total amount of plastic packaging in 2019 was higher than last year.
The surge in sales of reusable plastic bags means that many consumers consider these plastic bags as a single-use packaging option. In 2018, eight companies reported that they used 960 million reusable plastic bags; in 2019, the same eight companies reported the use of 1.24 billion.
Reusable plastic bags contain much more plastic than disposable plastic bags. Environmentalists recommend that supermarkets increase the price of each reusable plastic bag to 70 pence (about 6.26 yuan). They pointed out that Ireland's sales of reused plastic bags decreased by 90%, because the local price increased to 70 euro cents (about NTD 5.44).
The second reason for the increase of waste plastic: suppliers use plastic packaging
The report shows that the use of plastic packaging by suppliers is also one of the factors that increase plastic waste in supermarkets. Supermarket operators have not asked suppliers to reduce plastic packaging.
EIA Marine Protection Officer Juliet. Juliet Phillips said, "Our survey shows that food retailers need to follow stricter targets to promote a real reduction in disposable plastic packaging and products."
The third reason for the increase in waste plastic: retailers' waste reduction targets are linked to sales
At present, the actions and choices taken by supermarkets are affecting the future health of ecosystems and relationships that depend on ecosystems for survival.
At present, all major retailers are in principle committed to reducing the use of plastic, but almost all of these goals are linked to sales, which means that companies can still achieve their so-called reduction while increasing their overall plastic footprint. Scrap target.
The fourth reason for the increase of waste plastic: most plastic packaging cannot be widely recycled
Although recyclability is the focus of industry efforts, private label plastic packaging classified as "widely recycled" fell by weight from 64.7 percent in 2017 to 63.8 percent in 2018.
In terms of quantity, less than one-third of private label plastic packaging is classified as "widely recycled" due to the appearance of more and lighter-weight packaging on the market, such as films. This shows that about two-thirds of the supermarket's private label plastic packaging cannot be widely recycled.
Five recommendations to help all-round waste reduction
So far, most governments and industries have focused on recycling. Although it can play a certain role, it cannot completely solve the problem of plastic waste.
The report encourages companies to rethink their relationship with disposable packaging and products, analyze and focus on the trends that have led to their non-reduction in waste plastics manufacturing, and encourage cooperation and sharing of experience among companies to accelerate progress across the industry.
In order to narrow the gap between the growing plastic consumption and limited recycling capacity, it is necessary to focus on reducing the generation of waste plastic. If the industry does not make changes, the packaging waste in the UK will increase by 22% between 2018 and 2030.
To this end, the report makes the following recommendations for reducing waste plastics:
01. For disposable packaging
Set the goal of reducing the use of disposable packaging-Set a clear reduction goal, formulate a long-term plan to reduce the use of disposable plastics, and short-term periodic goals. These goals must be applied to branded products and private label products, and should set absolute reductions (not linked to sales or growth).
The way to achieve these goals should focus on completely eliminating disposable packaging and transforming it into reusable packaging, rather than lightweighting the packaging or replacing the original disposable plastic with another disposable material.
Unpackaged products and reusable solutions-support a comprehensive transition to unpackaged products and reuse and refill products, change the system covering stores, supply chains and product lines across the country to ensure uniform prices, applicability and public education popular. Introduce online reusable products. Given that reusable packaging may be heavier, supermarkets should take measures to support transportation decarbonization to ensure that there is no chain reaction to transportation emissions.
Eliminate non-recyclable packaging-By the end of 2020, eliminate all non-recyclable plastic polymers and packaging, and require brand suppliers to also practice.
Use of non-traditional plastics—Avoid the wrong solutions for non-traditional plastics (bio-based, biodegradable, compostable).
Eliminate the drivers of disposable packaging—shorten the supply chain and promote seasonal products; prohibit excessive packaging for marketing purposes; challenge the “fast food” culture, which is the basis for waste.
02. For disposable plastic products
Terminal sales and free provision of disposable plastic products-including but not limited to plastic tableware, bottles, cups, straws, blenders, hygiene products and plastic cotton swabs. Focus on completely eliminating disposable items and turning to reusable items.
End-use sales of disposable plastic bags and reusable plastic bags-increase the price of reusable plastic bags to at least 70 pence, and provide reusable agricultural product bags.
03. Cooperation with supply chain
Work closely with brand suppliers-by setting goals, sharing environmental practices and collaborating on refillable packaging, working with brand suppliers to reduce the use of disposable plastics and packaging. Give up cooperation with companies that are unwilling or unable to achieve environmental protection goals.
Agricultural Plastics—Work with fruit and vegetable suppliers to reduce the use of agricultural plastics and implement responsible plastic management to prevent pollution of the soil, rivers, and oceans. Standardize the policy to make it a condition that suppliers must follow.
Waste plastics related to fisheries-Work with fishery suppliers to take measures to prevent discarded and lost fishing gear and other plastic waste. Use reasonable and recognized procurement policies, such as those advocated by the Global Global Ghost Gear program.
Plastic particle loss-Introduce supplier standards, require them to implement reasonable programs to prevent the loss of plastic particles, and attach third-party audit and reporting requirements.
Secondary and tertiary packaging—Introduce a comprehensive set of transportation policies that require reusable containers for transportation, storage, and distribution.
Employee, customer, and community participation—Promote employee, customer, and community participation in environmental movements. Use all internal and external communication channels to encourage employees and customers to reduce plastic use and resolve financial and non-financial barriers to achieve change in action.
Involve decision makers to support the reduction of plastic packaging and disposable packaging-working with individuals or industry agencies to promote ambitious policy reforms to significantly reduce disposable packaging and move to reuse and refill systems.
04. Open the transparency of plastic use
Publicly disclose the full details of the plastic footprint on the website and in the annual report, encouraging investors and shareholders of the company to participate in the promotion.
In the 2019 waste reduction performance rankings, Waitrose and Morrisons perform best in reducing the overall plastic footprint, and they are committed to promoting unpackaged and reusable solutions.
05. Appeal for government legislation to implement waste reduction
Rapidly reduce waste plastics through legislation, such as legislation stipulating packaging reduction and reuse goals, and reducing disposable plastic packaging by at least 50% by 2025; using producer extended responsibility (EPR) packaging reform to ensure that producers are responsible for the project All relevant expenses are to promote the design of the enterprise based on the principle of "reduction, reuse, and regeneration"; taxation and charging of nascent plastic packaging.
In short, solving the plastic waste problem requires rethinking modern consumerism, not just quick solutions. It requires us to dare to challenge the marketing and promotion thinking that encourages consumption; we need to turn to seasonal and localized diets, shorten the supply chain to avoid a lot of flight mileage and packaging; require us to challenge popular convenience culture and excessive consumption, which are all leading to the environment The root of the problem. Most importantly, supermarkets and retailers play a key role in changing these methods.
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