Why the government should ban “problem plastics”
What do black plastic trays, styrofoam takeaway boxes and PVC clingfilm have in common?
They’re all “problem plastics” – non-recyclable, too expensive to recycle or toxic to the environment.
Obviously these materials aren’t the only plastics that can cause problems for the environment, but they’re some of the worst offenders. Because “problem plastics” are difficult to process (either because they’re unrecyclable or recycling them is expensive) they’re more likely to end up being dumped or burned.
The UK produces up to 5.2 million tonnes of plastic waste a year, and our recycling and waste systems simply can’t keep up. Huge amounts of it is going to landfill, being shipped abroad, and ending up in our rivers and oceans. A new Greenpeace investigation has revealed that UK household waste is even ending up in illegal landfill sites in Malaysia.
But other countries are getting fed up of being used as a dumping ground. Just last week Malaysia joined China in announcing new restrictions on waste imports. To deal with this plastic crisis (and stop the flow of plastic pollution into our oceans), the government needs to tackle the problem at its source, by dramatically reducing the amount of plastic that is produced in the first place.
The government has recently announced that they’re considering a ban on single-use plastics like cotton buds and plastic stirrers*. Whilst this would be a positive step, the government mustn’t ignore the far bigger threat of problem plastics. These materials are difficult to process but relatively easy to replace, with many alternative options already out there.
This is starting to play out in retailers, and some supermarkets have already started taking steps towards banning problem plastics (for example by banning black plastic trays, like the kind used for ready meals.) But plastic pollution is an urgent problem, and we can’t wait for supermarkets and manufacturers to set their own pace.
The solution to dealing with these problem plastics is to stop them being made in the first place, and the government has the power to make this happen.
All rights reserved. Credit: Greenpeace
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About The Author
Susan Massie, Sales & Marketing Director, Greyhound Chromatography and Allied Chemicals Email: sue@greyhoundchrom.com
Susan Massie is the Sales & Marketing Director for Greyhound Chromatography and Allied Chemicals, affectionately known as 'Greyhound' in our scientific community. Greyhound was founded by Susan's husband Paul Massie almost 40 years ago, Susan hasn't been in the business for all of that time but has been involved with Greyhound for over 17 years. Greyhound continues to grow, expanding into new markets and taking on the challenges of our ever changing environment. It's heartwarming to witness the world waking up to the fact that we are damaging our planet on a daily basis. Every action we take has a direct effect on our planet and the world we leave behind for future generations. Susan is passionate about climate change and is happy to work in an industry that can have a direct effect on reducing the impact of our actions on the environment. All of the team at Greyhound take our responsibilities very seriously, the products that we supply are used by the world's leading scientists and chemists as they endeavour to monitor and repair the environment. All is not lost, if we all take responsibility for our actions, from reducing our waste and reusing or recycling our material collateral we can make a difference. The internet is full of useful advice and guidance, Susan is proud to contribute to that wealth of knowledge whenever she can.
Greyhound prides itself on personal service which provides prompt, efficient, cost-effective, safe delivery of all products. Greyhound provides technical advice and distribution of Certified Reference Standards and Materials, Laboratory Consumables, Solvents and Reagents across all scientific disciplines. Greyhound Chromatography offers over 1 Million products from its UK warehouse. The team at Greyhound are proud to support the work of the world's leading scientists and chemists as they challenge the abuse of our planet and try to make a difference to the world we leave behind for our ancestors.
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