The problem with plastic.

Welcome to the fourth edition of "Forward", which unpacks key sustainability themes, along with curated news and start-ups to watch. This time, we're taking a look at how to solve the global problem of plastic pollution. Please do get in touch with your feedback.

Theme in focus 🔎

The problem with plastic

Why care about plastic pollution? In short: we’re making too much of it, and without action ecosystems will increasingly be laden with harmful plastic material.

 Current levels of plastic waste generation are double the rate they were two decades ago. The proliferation of this waste has become a global and transboundary problem, affecting all regions and communities – from remote sections of ice and snow in the Arctic to inside the lungs of living people. This carries inevitable consequences for human health, ecosystems and biodiversity. 

The Covid-19 pandemic also exacerbated the issue, due to an increased use of plastic-based personal protective equipment, face masks and disposablefood packaging. As of last year around 25,900 tonnes of plastic waste wasestimated to have entered the ocean due to Covid-19. Ocean plastic pollution levels could be on track to quadruple by mid-century – with the plastic in the ocean outweighing fish by this date – causing potentially irreversible impacts such as extinction to some marine life populations. 

Plenty more plastic in the sea – Plastic waste and microplastics leach into storm drains, sewers, rivers and eventually the ocean where they can travel long distances. Sources of microplastics are varied and often underestimated, with recent studies highlighting synthetic clothing and car tyre particles as common problematic areas for microplastic generation.

As well as the continued production of virgin plastic, a large part of the problem also lies in a lack of adequate plastic processing infrastructure. Around 50% of plastic waste ends up in landfill, while only 9% is recycled successfully and over one-fifth is mismanaged in waste management systems, ending up in unrestricted dumping grounds or terrestrial or marine environments – particularly in less developed regions. 

Loopholes in regulations are also allowing unsorted plastic waste to be exported from developed nations overseas, leaving it to be dumped, burned or to pollute the ocean. 

Prime polluters – Consumer goods brands and their suppliers are some of the largest contributors to the problem, with just 10 companies responsible for 51% of the UK’s branded packaging litter. Microplastics are also found in up to 90% of cosmetic and personal care products from mainstream brands.

There has, however, been movement from governments to address plastic waste and place greater accountability onto plastic producers. In July, California’s governor approved a new law mandating the state curbs its single-use plastic by 25% by 2032. Similarly, India has banned most disposable plastics across all stages of the supply chain including production, import, distribution and sale. The UK has also recently implemented a plastic packaging tax.

Retailers are also under pressure from customers to act more responsibly, with changing priorities and growing concerns about plastic pollution being reflected in consumer shopping behaviour. 

What can be done – Tech-based solutions are being utilised to reduce plastic waste already polluting the environment and the ocean. In Croatia, for example, the port of Cres has deployed an automated floating seawater filtration device to pick up microplastics and other pollutants. Elsewhere, satellite imagery and advanced machine learning models are being used to detect and map plastic waste across 25 countries. 

More broadly, gaps in the recycling sector must be improved to ensure more efficient management of waste resources and reduced risk of waste ending up in the environment. Similarly, embracing circular economic models – offering waste products a secondary lifespan through reuse, recycling and upcycling – keeps resources in a closed loop system and can help avoid pollution. Platforms such as Loop, for instance, offer circular supply chain solutions and eliminate unnecessary waste from consumer goods packaging. 

Some companies are looking at circular ways to repurpose plastic waste into longer-term building and road infrastructure. In Congo’s Bukavu city, used plastic bottles are being transformed into durable road paving slabs to help address plastic waste accumulation in Ruzizi River. 

From a consumer goods lens, utilising more natural, degradable materials for products can also reduce plastic waste by tackling the start of the supply chain. Carlsberg for example recently began a trial using recyclable bio-based beer bottles across some European countries, for instance. Meanwhile Indian social enterprise Paper Seed has created biodegradable plant seed-embedded face masks which can grow into plants when discarded into soil, aiming to address the rapid increase in disposable surgical masks and associated pollution when they are discarded.

Startups to watch 👀

Who's driving positive change?

Oxwash

Oxwash aims to re-engineer the laundry sector, using innovative washing processes that are sustainable and eliminate negative environmental impacts such as the release of microplastics from clothing into waterways, alongside reduced emissions and water consumption. Last year, the firm’s microfibre filters stopped around 22 billion microplastics from ending up in the ocean.

Epoch Biodesign

The UK-based startup recently secured $11m in a funding round to further advance its plastic-digesting enzyme solution which consumes hard-to-recycle plastics. The company plans to build a facility for its tech-based solution for businesses to use to process waste, instead of sending it to landfill. 

FlexSea

FlexSea has created a seaweed-derived biopolymer material that acts as an alternative for plastic film packaging. The material is both industrially recyclable and home compostable, and able to degrade naturally in weeks, resulting in a zero-waste and circular production cycle.

Clearbot

Backed by Microsoft, Clearbot is a Hong Kong-based startup aiming to offer a solution to ocean pollution using its AI-powered, autonomous surface water vehicle which collects floating waste from surface waters. The Clearbot Neo removes plastic pollution from the surface of waterways including harbours, canals and rivers while avoiding trapping marine life.

Newsworthy developments 👀

What else is happening?

Below are just a few examples of other newsworthy recent solutions to address plastic pollution.

Governments have taken first steps to outline the schedule of negotiations and rules of procedure for an international legally binding treaty on plastic pollution. The deal was agreed by the UN in March this year and was described as a landmark agreement. The treaty will not be finalised until 2024, but is expected to have knock-on effects on major plastic-producer nations, consumer goods firms and chemical plastic manufacturers.

UK-based recycling firm Itero Technologies has received a €6m ($6m) investment from Infinity Recycling’s Circular Plastics Fund. The firm plans to construct a plant for recycling plastic waste, using Itero’s pyrolysis technology to convert plastic waste into forms that can be used in the production of new plastic products, such as oils, wax and gas, reducing the amount of virgin plastics.

The Ocean Cleanup has officially captured and removed over 100,000 kg of plastic waste from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch since the deployment of its experimental System 002 cleaning solution. The organisation’s efforts are known as the largest ocean plastic pollution cleanup in the world. 

Finally, Marks & Spencer has unveiled a pilot of refillable own-brand cleaning and laundry products, which will allow customers to purchase pre-filled refillable bottles. Customers will be charged an initial £2 deposit, which will be returned in a voucher form when the empty bottles are brought back into stores. The retailer has committed to removing one billion pieces of plastic packaging across its food product offering by 2027.