New Report Proposals to Boost Transition to the New Plastics Economy

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The new report published by Ellen MacArthur Foundation narrates concrete set of actions to step up the transition to New Plastics Economy- a more effective plastics system based on circular economy principles. The new report titled “The New Plastics Economy: Catalysing Action” is considered to be the logical next step to the earlier report on New Plastics Economy published in 2016 in co-operation with World Economic Forum and McKinsey & Company.

The report aims to trigger concrete set of actions to contribute towards early transition to the New Plastics Economy. It outlines three distinct strategies-Redesign and Innovate, Reuse, Recycle- for three plastic packaging categories that covers the entire plastics market. It recommends clear roadmap of a set of priority actions for each category by mobilizing the various strategies to drive progress towards a global plastics system. Further, it outlines a plan to catalyse progress on the priority actions in 2017.

Plastic packaging items such as sachets, tear-offs, lids and sweet wrappers and EPS often escape collection systems and end up in landfills. These packaging applications represent nearly 30% of the market by weight. The report calls for avoiding the use of such small-format plastic packaging wherever possible and replacement of these materials with alternatives. It also justifies the need for exploring the potential of chemical recycling and other technologies to reprocess these packaging into new plastic feedstocks.

Single-use plastic packaging is increasingly being replaced with reusable alternatives. Reuse provides an economically attractive opportunity to at least 20% of the plastic packaging. The introduction of minor levies on single-use plastic bags by various countries has led to significant reduction in the usage of single-use bags. Immediate steps must be taken to replace single-use plastic carrier bags by reusable alternatives, the report says.

According to Ellen MacArthur Foundation, concerted efforts are needed to promote recycling as the economically and environmentally attractive solution for the remaining 50% of the plastic packaging. Focused efforts to implement design changes in plastic packaging to improve recycling quality and necessary modernization of the collection and sorting mechanisms are the keys to boost demand for recycled plastics.