plastic
Effort to reduce plastic waste in New York gains momentum
New York State is on the verge of passing legislation to significantly reduce single-use plastic waste, potentially setting a precedent for other states.
In short:
- The proposed Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act aims to cut plastic packaging by 50% over 12 years by pushing companies to use sustainable alternatives or pay fees.
- Fees collected would fund recycling and waste management infrastructure, potentially bringing New York City $150 million.
- The bill also seeks to ban 19 of the most toxic chemicals in plastic packaging, following examples set by other states like California and Maine.
Key quote:
“We must go after the producers who contribute to the plastics crisis and not place the burden on individuals.”
— Elijah Hutchinson, executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice
Why this matters:
This legislation addresses the escalating plastic waste crisis, aiming to reduce landfill waste by six million pounds daily. Its success could inspire similar actions nationwide, promoting healthier environmental practices and reducing public health risks from microplastics. Read more: California moves forward with landmark plastic waste reduction law.
Conservatives target single-use plastic bans as overreach
Canadian Conservatives are framing single-use plastic bans as government overreach and part of a culture war, focusing their criticism on paper straws and lids.
In short:
- Conservative MPs are criticizing the Liberal government's listing of plastic items as toxic and promoting a petition to save plastic straws.
- Bill C-380, aiming to reverse the government's plastic bans, cites convenience and health concerns, referencing PFAS chemicals found in some paper straws.
- Environmental scientists argue that the focus on straws oversimplifies the broader issue of plastic pollution, which significantly impacts ecosystems and human health.
Key quote:
“We do need to improve recycling, but it's not the solution. It's not the one solution. We also need to turn off the tap of production.”
— Tony Walker, professor in the school for resource and environmental studies at Dalhousie University
Why this matters:
Plastic pollution is a significant environmental and health issue, and framing it as a cultural or political conflict can impede effective policy-making and public cooperation needed to address the crisis comprehensively. Environmental advocates argue that reducing plastic usage is critical to addressing the mounting crisis of plastic waste. Plastic straws, while a small part of the problem, symbolize the broader issue of single-use plastics that contribute significantly to pollution. Critics of the ban suggest that such measures might disrupt industries and ignore the convenience plastic straws provide to people with disabilities who rely on them.
Related EHN coverage:
UN conference on plastic pollution marked by industry influence
At a recent United Nations conference in Canada, intended to forge a treaty on plastic pollution, industry insiders prominently influenced proceedings despite the event's "plastic-free" claim.
In short:
- Industry representatives, some posing as government delegates, gained access to critical negotiation sessions, overshadowing the conference's environmental goals.
- The event highlighted significant disparities in access and influence, with some countries bringing industry members into their official delegations.
- Despite the intended focus on reducing plastic production, industry lobbying and presence at the conference significantly swayed discussions and outcomes.
Key quote:
“The human right to science includes the right to transparency."
— Bethanie Carney Almroth, ecotoxicologist from Sweden’s University of Gothenburg
Why this matters:
The irony of a "plastic-free" conference being influenced by those who have vested interests in the plastic industry underscores a recurring challenge in environmental policymaking: the tug-of-war between economic benefits and environmental protection. Critics argue that allowing industry representatives to have a substantial say could sway the outcomes in favor of less stringent regulations, which might prioritize economic considerations over the urgent need to reduce plastic usage and waste.
“Plastic will overwhelm us:” Scientists say health should be the core of global plastic treaty.
Tensions rise as US stance on plastic treaty draws criticism
Recent U.N. talks in Ottawa reveal significant resistance by major oil producers, including the U.S., to stringent global plastic production caps.
In short:
- The U.N. negotiations aim to finalize a global treaty to end plastic pollution by year-end, but disagreements persist.
- Environmental groups criticize the U.S. for insufficiently addressing plastic production, rather than just consumption.
- U.N. officials express optimism, highlighting progress on treaty drafts and upcoming intersessional work before the next meeting.
Key quote:
"We leave Ottawa having achieved both goals and a clear path to landing an ambitious deal in Busan ahead of us. The work, however, is far from over."
— Inger Andersen, executive director of the U.N. Environment Program
Why this matters:
Plastic has become a symbol of environmental crises. It is estimated that millions of tons of plastic waste end up in the oceans annually, harming marine life and entering the human food chain through seafood consumption. The health implications are increasingly concerning, as studies suggest that microplastics might impact human health through unknown pathways.
Plastic industry's emissions threaten global carbon limits
By mid-century, emissions from plastic production are set to triple, significantly impacting the global carbon budget, a new report suggests.
In short:
- The report from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, released days before the start of the next round of negotiations for a global plastics treaty this week in Ottawa, indicates plastic production could consume one-fifth of Earth's carbon budget by 2050.
- Plastic production processes are highly dependent on fossil fuels, contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions.
- Strategies to curb plastic production growth could mitigate severe climate repercussions.
Key quote:
“If this treaty forces companies to significantly cut plastic production – by at least 12% per year by our calculations – we can still keep the world’s 1.5 degree goal alive and stem the climate impacts of plastic.”
— Neil Tangri, science and policy director at the environmental justice group Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives
Why this matters:
The production of plastics predominantly relies on fossil fuels, particularly oil and natural gas, which leads to substantial carbon dioxide emissions. During the lifecycle of plastic, from production to disposal, various greenhouse gases are released, including methane from landfill sites where much of the discarded plastic ends up.
Zero- and low-waste businesses band together against plastic pollution
As part of a national coalition, sustainable businesses are pooling resources to fight plastic pollution.
Jessica Georges loves the beaches of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where she lives.
But a few years ago, she realized even the most pristine parts of town weren’t immune to plastic pollution. “You can’t walk three yards on most beach days and not run into some sort of plastic,” she told EHN. Increasingly bothered by what she saw, she created a low-waste business — Green Road Refill — to sell low-cost and low-waste goods to her community.
Now, she and other low-waste businesses are strengthening their efforts to reduce plastic pollution via the National Business Coalition for the Oceans, a nationwide organization of businesses supported by nonprofit Oceana. The coalition focuses on advancing federal, state and local policies to improve ocean health, in part by curbing single-use plastics. Businesses involved in the coalition work for plastics policy change by sending letters, signing petitions, testifying at hearings and educating customers.
“We’re really happy to be part of a coalition where others are bringing their perspectives and their solutions, and we can all join forces and create the systems change that’s necessary,” Lauren Sweeney, a coalition member and co-founder of reusable packaging company Deliver Zero, told EHN.
Plastic policy progress
Oceana’s business coalition emerged in 2021, after a partnership between Oceana, government officials and regional businesses helped ban oil and gas drilling along the Atlantic and eastern Gulf coasts. It became clear businesses voicing their concerns had the power to convince lawmakers, said Claudia Davis, the coordinator of the coalition.
The coalition provides tools to business owners to help them learn about policy issues related to the oceans and gives them accessible ways to participate in policy efforts. Davis organizes members to sign petitions, author opinion pieces to publish in news outlets, testify at hearings and meet with lawmakers about relevant legislation. Any business interested in ocean health can join. Now, 250 business owners, from diving shops to restaurants to refilleries (shops where customers can refill reusable packaging with home and personal care products), are involved.
“We really want to encourage collective action from the business community, because that's what's going to deliver policy victories that make a change for the most people,” Davis told EHN.
At the federal level, the coalition is working to pass the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act, which would set nationwide plastics reduction targets, ban certain single-use plastic products and create a nationwide beverage container refund program.
The coalition is working to expand the number of states and local governments with similar plastic legislation.
In 2022, the coalition worked with multiple businesses in New York City to pass the “skip the stuff” law, which prohibits New York City restaurants from providing single-use plastics in takeout orders unless the customer asks. While the law will help reduce plastic pollution, it will also help restaurants save money, Davis said.
Skip the Stuff rally in NYC.
Credit: Raine Manley/NRDC
New York City's “skip the stuff” law prohibits New York City restaurants from providing single-use plastics in takeout orders unless the customer asks.
Credit: Raine Manley/NRDC
Sweeney and Larasati Vitoux, another coalition member who runs a New York City refillery called the Maison Jar, testified for the bill at a hearing in front of New York City’s Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection.
“I think it really made a difference to have members of the community who were saying “This is important to me not just as an individual, not just because I want to see less trash in my community, but [because] it's gonna save me and all of us money in the long run,”’ Davis said.
A business perspective
Low-waste businesses can provide a crucial perspective to lawmakers concerned about how policy changes will impact the economy. “Other businesses will come forward and say these bills are terrible for business,” Sweeney said. “Actually, you can run a business without polluting the planet and the oceans. The goal of these organizations is to counter the narrative that plastic reduction solutions are inherently anti-business.”
Bringing business voices to environmental advocacy work is critical, said Jennifer Congdon, deputy director for Beyond Plastics, an environmental nonprofit not involved in Oceana’s coalition. Policymakers can get a lot of reassurance from hearing that environmental policies pushed by advocates “are going to shift the economy, but they’re not going to harm the economy,” she told EHN. “There’s a path forward for economic growth.”
"You can run a business without polluting the planet and the oceans. The goal of these organizations is to counter the narrative that plastic reduction solutions are inherently anti-business.” - Lauren Sweeney, Deliver Zero
At Green Road Refill, Georges sells more than 40 plant-based products such as dish soaps, shampoos and detergents. Running a refill shop is difficult work with slim margins, said Georges and Katie Rodgers-Hubbard, who runs a similar refillery in Savannah, Georgia, called Lite Foot Company.
Bills that restrict single-use plastics give businesses like theirs a leg up by shifting the external costs of plastic like its environmental and public health harms — back to the businesses. “That makes plastic less competitive against other materials and other methods of delivering goods to people,” said Congdon.
Preventing plastic pollution
Lite Foot Company in Savannah, Georgia.
Credit: Katie Rodgers-Hubbard/Lite Foot Company
While they work toward policy action, the businesses themselves are helping to fight pollution, too. In 2023, Rodgers-Hubbard decided that running a low-waste business and joining other nonprofit efforts wasn’t enough. She started a new, nonprofit branch of her business: Lite Foot Environmental Foundation.
The foundation is creating a grade-school curriculum to educate students about plastic pollution and reuse. They also host clothing and book swaps and clothing repair days to encourage the Savannah community to extend the life of belongings. “We’re hoping to push the narrative,” Rodgers-Hubbard said. “Let’s fix things, let’s buy things of quality.”
And at Green Road Refill, Georges doesn’t only sell closed-loop products —her suppliers are closed-loop, too. She buys many of her products in 30- to 55-gallon containers from a company called Rustic Strength, which she then sends back to the company once the containers are empty. When considering what to put on her shelves, she prioritizes products with biodegradable and non-toxic ingredients.
Georges also focuses on educating customers and gives talks to libraries and elementary schools about plastic pollution. She asks everyone who gets a refill at her shop to contribute to an art installation made of non-recyclable bottle caps—a great way to start conversations about reducing one’s plastic footprint, she said. She passes information and petitions from Oceana on to customers in her monthly newsletters.
“When I first started, I had to really do a lot of work explaining what plastic was and why it's important to reduce your own plastic footprint,” she said. But now, the people who visit her shop are more familiar with refilleries and living a low-waste lifestyle.
“Businesses that exist almost for the sole purpose of reducing single use plastic are growing,” said Sweeney. “This is an exciting sector and the U.S. could develop more leadership in this sector by actually passing policy more quickly.”
Seeking alternatives to plastic for produce packaging
In an era where plastic dominates the grocery aisles, a shift toward more environmentally friendly packaging for fruits and vegetables emerges as a pressing concern.
In short:
- Produce professionals are rallying for biodegradable packaging, with initiatives like Driscoll’s paper containers leading the charge.
- New regulations in various countries and states aim to drastically reduce or tax plastic packaging, spurring innovation in eco-friendly alternatives.
- Alternatives being explored include biodegradable bags, edible coatings for produce, and innovative shipping containers designed to reduce waste and extend shelf life.
Key quote:
“The pushback you are getting is that if you eliminate plastic and go to fiber, it depletes the shelf life really fast.”
— Scott Crawford, vice president of merchandising for Baldor Specialty Foods
Why this matters:
Plastic food packaging, especially those types used for produce, has become a staple in grocery stores and markets worldwide, offering convenience and extending the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables. However, this convenience comes with environmental and health considerations that are increasingly coming under scrutiny. Huge economic pressures continue the exponential growth curve of plastic production, with – so far – no solutions capable of dealing with the problem at scale.