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Why is demand rising for single-use plastics?
Articles- Aug 23,23
It’s easy to dismiss single-use plastics because of their carbon footprint, but the issue is more complex than it initially appears. Moving away from single-use plastics is possible but complicated, says Emily Newton.
Single-use plastics have been a point of contention for businesses and consumers alike in recent years. Disposable products are cheaper and more convenient than many alternatives, but critics point to their environmental implications and the growing plastic pollution problem.
As reports on microplastic contamination and images of wildlife caught in plastics have grown, so have pledges to move away from single-use plastics. Despite these efforts, recent data shows that the demand for disposable plastic products has only increased.
The unexpected rise of single-use plastics
Some cities have restricted single-use plastic items for years, but the 2020s brought a wave of anti-plastic legislation. England banned plastic straws in 2020 before expanding the ban to more disposable plastic items in 2023. The EU introduced a similar law in 2021. The U.S. lacks similar nationwide legislation, but many states and cities have implemented plastic bans.
Many businesses, too, have started to phase out single-use plastics in favor of reusable alternatives. However, a new report from the Minderoo Foundation — an Australian philanthropy think tank — shows these bans and growing public awareness have had little impact.
According to the study, the world generated 6 million more metric tons of plastic waste in 2021 than in 2019. Most of the new products contributing to this waste featured entirely unrecycled feedstocks, too. Minderoo does expect this growth to slow below historical rates but still anticipates new single-use plastics to grow by 17 million metric tons by 2027.
Where the plastic spike comes from
At first, this rise in single-use plastics seems counterintuitive, given the growing action against these products. However, looking at the sources of this demand paints a clearer picture of how and why the world uses disposable plastics.
Recycling issues
A lack of effective recycling processes is one of the biggest contributors to single-use plastics’ growth. Petrochemical companies must be able to recycle plastics at scale to minimize plastic waste effectively. Minderoo’s report reveals that recycling has failed to keep pace with plastic production.
Between 2019 and 2021, recycled single-use plastic products grew by just 0.4 million metric tons, accounting for just 2% of all disposable plastics. By contrast, single-use plastics from virgin polymers grew 15 times that rate.
This disparity comes mainly from the fact that scaling plastic recycling is remarkably challenging. Recycled plastic is almost always lower-quality than primary plastic because these products can contain thousands of different additives that don’t always work well together. The sheer scale of the plastic industry also makes circular supply chains difficult to manage from a logistics standpoint.
Cost obstacles
Another reason single-use plastics continue to grow despite bans is that they’re often the most cost-effective option. Plastic recycling is most common in areas where it’s cheaper, and in most cases, making products from virgin polymers is far more affordable than recycling.
Alternatives outside of recycled plastic are often more expensive, too. Metals, paper and novel biodegradable compounds may offer enough strength to replace plastics, but they also cost more to produce. Without an economic advantage, there’s little incentive for manufacturers to embrace more eco-friendly alternatives.
It’s important to stress that these cost obstacles don’t exclusively apply to large corporations. Higher production costs also result in higher prices for consumers. As a result, consumer buying trends still favor cheaper single-use plastics, driving the companies that supply them to produce more.
Rising biomedical demands
Despite their environmental impact, single-use plastics also have advantages that have become more prominent recently. Most notably, fears over the spread of contagions have risen since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and disposable plastics have biomedical benefits.
Cleaning and sterilizing reusable medical equipment requires significant water and energy, not to mention time and labor. By contrast, a sterile single-use device is fast and easy to use, and because users get a new, in-the-package item for every use, there are no concerns over cross-contamination.
Demand for COVID tests, facemasks and other disposable biomedical tools has skyrocketed in the past few years. As a result, manufacturers created more single-use items to support these needs, slowing any progress in reusable products they might’ve otherwise made.
What’s next for plastic manufacturers?
In light of these insights, plastic producers and manufacturers using plastics can take several steps to balance sustainability with costs and efficiency. Moving away from single-use plastics is crucial for the environment, but that shift is only feasible if it makes economic sense. Improving these costs begins with lobbying for incentive programs for manufacturers who shift to recycled plastics or biodegradable alternatives to offset the costs of the transition.
Because recycled plastics are often lower-quality, manufacturers may have to focus on finding non-plastic alternatives for their products. As they do that, they can recycle plastics for other non-mechanical processes that produce better results. Energy is a promising target for this recycling, as new methods can convert 90% of plastic waste into fuel at low temperatures.
The manufacturing industry must also work together to enable larger circular economies. Preventing plastic pollution and supporting recycling at scale is only possible with large-scale collection, sorting and distribution systems. Companies in some areas may have to ship excess collected waste to other lower-waste regions to even out the supply of recyclable materials.
Single-use plastics pose complex problems
It’s easy to dismiss single-use plastics because of their carbon footprint, but the issue is more complex than it initially appears. Understanding the factors behind disposable plastic’s rise is the first step in addressing the issue.
Moving away from single-use plastics is possible but complicated. It will take a global, multi-industry collaborative effort, but if organisations and lawmakers can embrace that shift, the world can move toward a cleaner future.
About the author:
Emily Newton is a tech and industrial journalist and the Editor-in-Chief of Revolutionized Magazine. Subscribe to the Revolutionized newsletter for more content from Emily.
Single-use plastics
plastic waste
disposable plastics
Minderoo Foundation
Emily Newton
Revolutionized Magazine
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