More than 140 countries have implemented some sort of plastic ban or plastic tax. Still, it is essential to understand that governments cannot yet, for all practical purposes, ban all plastics.
Globally, only nine per cent of the plastic ever produced has been recycled. It is crucial to understand that we are all responsible for plastic pollution.
A recent Eurostat report confirms that in 2021, Malta recycled just 21 per cent of its plastic packaging. This is the lowest recycling rate for plastic packaging in the EU.
Malta introduced the Beverage Containers Recycling Scheme (BCRS) in November last year. Now, plastic bottles, cans, and glass bottles can be deposited in machines around the country. While there are still flaws in the system, BCRS was a step in the right direction.
Waste management experts say the problem with plastic is that it is expensive to collect and sort. There are thousands of different types of plastic, and none of them can be melted down together.
Greenpeace research found that plastic also degrades after one or two uses, and the more plastic is reused, the more toxic it becomes. On the other hand, new plastic is cheap and easy to produce.
The public debate on the effects and possible solutions to plastic pollution must be honest to lead to effective policies addressing this environmental challenge.
An educational campaign is needed to re-educate people on the realities of the use of plastic and its recycling potential. The entire consumer economy as we know it runs on single-use packaging, the vast majority of which is plastic. Our addiction to the use of plastic must change.
Politically, it is easier to say, “We are going to take everything, and we think we can get it recycled, and then look the other way.” Unfortunately, many countries have focused on mitigating the plastic challenge around the margins, tiptoeing around the broader plastic crisis.
Reusing plastic to pave roads, attempting to tax single-use plastics to reduce consumption, or incinerating plastics to squeeze out a bit of energy have only limited success. The problem is not finding creative ways to curb or marginally reuse plastic. The problem is plastic.
Plastic recycling is not economically viable in most countries that prefer to ship plastic waste to China and some African countries. China has now shut down its foreign recycling operation. While individuals must continue to use recycling facilities, the industry has to develop better solutions to the plastic crisis. Ninety per cent of the plastic we have ever produced is now near-permanently polluting our world. Innovation and investment in plastic alternatives will soon lead to more biodegradable consumer goods packaging in grocery stores and markets.
In the meantime, we must understand that we cannot recycle our way out of the plastic problem.
Environmentalists correctly argue that the public must see plastic for what it is – trash. People need to ask themselves if there is something else they could be using instead.
Environmentalists and policymakers must push for legislation that discourages single-use plastics.
One sobering reality that must make us feel responsible for reducing pollution is that, according to National Geographic research, half of all plastics have been produced within the past 15 years.
In the longer term, the real solution to plastic pollution will be to switch to reuse and refill systems.