Two facts, a misconception, and a better solution
09 Jun 2022
Packaging
Plastics are necessary (and remarkably efficient). But plastics’ accumulation in the ocean poses a grave threat to mankind. The issue of plastics accumulation in the ocean MUST be fixed. Many would like to believe that the issue is really being addressed via continued reduction, reutilization and recycling. It is NOT. That’s wishful thinking (at best). These “recycled” ideas have been around for decades and the results are there for everyone to see: we are still leaking over 10 million tons per year of plastic into the ocean. If we continue to merely prioritize circularity, ten years from now we’ll be recycling more than ever. But will also likely be continuing to be leaking more persistent plastics to the ocean than ever. Not a good deal for the planet or our posterity. Having circularity as the #1 metric does NOT prioritize “less plastic in the ocean”. We need a better solution (and metric). The better solution is simple: Collect more and biodegrade faster. The better metric: kilograms of ocean-plastic avoided per $.