Plastics have become ubiquitous in modern life since their invention and disposal is a major concern. Significant amounts of plastic waste currently leak into natural environments, but scientists believe it is possible to slash plastic waste pollution by 80%.
Plastics are ingrained in every facet of our lives. Its omnipresence can be attributed to its versatility in design, functionality across temperatures, a high strength-to-weight ratio, and durability.
Macroeconomic trends that have contributed to its rise include rising populations, economic growth (especially in emerging markets), increasing demand for single-use plastic, and large-scale technological advances including computers and mobile phones.
With mass production has come large-scale pollution and the leakage of plastic waste into nature. The world’s biggest contributor is the US, according to a 2021 US Congressional report. It has produced almost twice as much waste as China, and more than the European Union.
When it comes to manufacturers, fewer than 60 global companies have been found to be responsible for more than half of the world’s plastic pollution.
Pervasive pollution effects
Plastic enters air circulation through incineration, sea spray from microplastics floating in the ocean, and dust from tyres. It can enter water through sewer overflows, littering, and inadequate waste management. On land, agricultural soils may receive greater quantities of microplastics than the ocean.
Thedamaging environmental effects go beyond the waste that is discarded. Incineration generates CO2 and landfills contribute to climate change. Plastic production also creates greenhouse gases with emissions from land disturbances, extraction, transportation, etc.
Pollution impacts flora and terrestrial and marine organisms. Human health is affected through ingestion, inhalation, inflammation, etc.
Tackling the harm plastic causes must involve all stakeholders. Measures include production limitations and banning unnecessary plastic products. It will involve shifting the mindset around plastics from ‘take-make-waste’ to ‘reduce-reuse-recycle’.
Mechanical and advanced recycling
There are two ways to recycle plastic:
First, mechanical recycling involves collecting plastic waste, followed by washing, drying, grinding and melting to produce recycled pellets, which can then be used to make new packaging. There are many suppliers, and as recycling rates improve it is expected that supply will increase to meet the growing demand for such products.
Second, advanced recycling involves three types of processes: pyrolysis, depolymerisation, and purification.
- Pyrolysis: This thermal process uses high temperatures to break down plastic into smaller molecules such as gas and oil. It does not directly recover the building blocks of plastic, monomers.
- Depolymerisation: This chemical process breaks down plastic using specific chemical reactions to revert it back to monomers.
- Purification: This involves dissolving plastic into a solvent, then separating and purifying the mixture to extract additives and dyes to ultimately obtain polymers.
Advantages of advanced recycling processes include that it can be repeated indefinitely and that all contaminants are removed, producing materials with the same properties and food compliance as traditional plastics. Current capacity is limited but it is expected to increase.
McKinsey estimates advanced recycling could meet 4-8% of total polymer demand by 2030, up from today’s near-zero amount.
Two headwinds
The plastic recycling industry currently faces two key headwinds:
- Insufficient raw material
Plastic recycling companies struggle to find sufficient raw material to create circularity in plastic manufacturing as plastic is expensive to reclaim and too hard to consistently source at scale. A lack of proper sorting by consumers in their neighbourhood exacerbates the problem.
- Economic viability
Typically, the cost to recycle plastics is higher than the cost of producing virgin plastics. There is, however, a growing acceptance for consumers to pay more for recycled products.
Alternatives to plastics
- Bioplastics
Bioplastics, like PLA, are made from plants such as corn or sugarcane. Biological materials can be converted into polylactic acids used for food packaging. It can also be engineered from microorganisms. Bioplastics produce fewer emissions than traditional plastics because there is no net increase in carbon dioxide when they break down. Studies show, however, that only 1.5% of the total agricultural land would be needed for bioplastics to completely replace petroleum-based plastics.
Discarded bioplastic must either be sent to a landfill, recycled, or sent for industrial composting. If they end up in water, they will break down like petroleum-based plastic into micro-sized pieces lasting for decades and presenting a danger to marine life.
- Plastic alternatives
Ecologically friendly alternatives such as beeswax, bamboo, and seaweed can provide many benefits outside of waste reduction and climate mitigation.
Investing in recycling
Recycling is a long-term economic opportunity: as demand for sustainable products grows, the market for recycled plastics is predicted to surge.
There are many opportunities for investors, from municipal waste companies that form the backbone of plastic recycling, to companies who are innovating advanced recycling technologies.
