We can’t just recycle our way out of the plastic

pollution crisis
Blogpost by Elvira Jiménez - 19 January, 2018 at 17:341 comment
Plastics are in the air. Not only literally. Everyone's talking about plastic pollution and the need to
take action.

You don’t need to be conducting a scientific research to see that plastic waste is invading our
environment, specially our oceans. With up to 12 million tons of plastic entering the oceans every
year it is not surprising that we find plastic everywhere, not only polluting the water and severely
impacting marine species, but also accumulating in the food chain.

Plastic-Spitting Dragon Protests at Our Oceans Conference in Malta. 5 Oct. 2017.

And so people all over the world are building up a movement to transition to a society free of
single-use plastic and the throw-away culture it entails. Whether it be by individual action
and changing everyday habits, by signing petitions or by creating change in their communities and
local businesses.
The movement to #BreakFreeFromPlastic is on the rise and there’s no stopping it!
But where are we on policy? This week, the European Commission has released the European
Plastics Strategy. A document that reflects the vision and the objectives of the Commission on this
issue and that will be translated into measures and actions.

The European Union (together with countries in the North American Free Trade Agreement) is the
second largest producer of plastic after China.

 In the EU, 25.8 million tons of plastic waste are generated each year, 70% of which is incinerated
or dumped in landfill.
 In the EU, 150,000 - 500,000 tons of plastic waste enter the oceans every year.
 It is estimated that between 75,000 and 300,000 tons of microplastics are released to the
environment each year from EU countries.
We need to change these numbers. It seems like this new EU strategy echoes this urgency and is
certainly something worth praising. But once we get to the details, it seems to go down the usual
path.

There’s certainly some good ideas, like treating microplastic ingredients (including cosmetic
microbeads) as toxic pollution using the EU chemical regulation.

And it sets a target that by 2030, 100% of plastic packaging in the EU market will be reusable or
recyclable, with a first legislative proposal in 2018 to tackle some single use items. Promising!

But again we find a text too focused on recycling. It’s all over the place. While reduction and reuse
is hardly mentioned. Their target won’t be achieved without reducing the production and
consumption of plastic packaging and single-use items, much of which are unnecessary in the first
place and have already existing alternatives waiting to be scaled up.

Deposit return schemes are increasingly being implemented. Bulk stores are blooming in many
places, water fountains are coming back to cities and public places, and reusable items are coming
into fashion. But alternatives need to be backed up by bold and ambitious political measures.

So if you are a European citizen, watch out for changes in our legislations and be ready to ask
your national government to ensure single-use plastic item bans are fast tracked as the crisis is
urgent and the EU process can take years. It’s a real opportunity for change and we mustn’t let it
slip!

And even if you’re not in Europe, we still need your support. In a globalised world, whatever
happens in the European region will have impact in other regions, through companies
headquartered in the EU, trade or by simply, and most importantly, setting an example for others
to follow that ambitious measures can be taken to phase-out single-use plastic.

While we wait for the next political move, you can still do your part. Whether it be refusing straws,
bags, using refillable bottles or taking community action. Every step counts, no matter how big or
small. Pick yours and start today to join the movement! We can all #BreakFreeFromPlastic!

Elvira Jiménez is EU Plastics Project leader with Greenpeace Spain