At the start of the 21st Century, “single-use” plastics are widespread and “simply-put“ found in almost every product and application. As we move forward towards a greater level of sustainability and green building initiatives among others and try to look after our planet and environment at least to some extend, recycling and reuse of commodities and products is becoming more and more essential.
in order to curb “plastic - air and environmental pollution” as well as to reduce the “sea pollution” of our Oceans, several States in the USA and other global communities have started to “ban” “single-use“ plastics. Plastic can remain in our landfills for centuries and can be viewed as a detriment to our beautiful planet. All in all, it is everyone’s responsibility to protect our planet to the best extent possible and to assure future generations will be able to enjoy the planet to at least the level we can at the present time.
Do you agree or disagree with the “ban” on “single-use” plastics and why? What can we do better?
Dear Christian
Regarding this topic and as a researcher in the packaging area, I have always believed that the problem is more related to education than to the materials themselves. The sustainability problem in the plastics industry has to do with the habits and culture of the populations. You can create the best package or any other plastic object to make people's lives easier as packaging tries, but if there is no responsibility on the part of the users, there will never be a true solution. We always want to leave the problem for someone else. In my case, I separate at the source and facilitate recycling. I do that at home as an individual, while as a researcher I work on biodegradable systems and with the use of natural compounds. Finally, I agree with the elimination of some single-use plastic objects such as coffee glasses or straws (because it encourages user education), while I also believe that in terms of the packaging industry, from its design, its reuse should be encouraged using QR codes or other forms of information to the consumer for their awareness and generation of recycling ideas.
The idea is not to "ban" plastics, "harmful" to the environment. And the need for additives to it helps to benefit from it, after the end of work
The problem is not in the material itself, but in management/administration and culture. However, as long as we find ourselves in an emergency where plastic bags end up in nature and not in recycling centers, their use should be banned. Needless to say, parallel investments can be made in developing innovative mechanisms that are feasible to organize clean and reliable plastic cycles (gradually from small scales to large scales).
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