A Circular Economy to Solve the Plastic Problem
Tamika Gokhool
WHAT’S THE PLASTIC PROBLEM?
The way we produce, use, and dispose of plastics is a huge problem. It’s not only a threat to our environment but it’s also causing negative ecological, financial, and social impacts. The problem at hand is much larger and more significant than many people can grasp. To put the situation into perspective, Canadians alone produce 3.3 million tons of plastic per year and of that amount, 2.8 million tons end up in our landfills. That means that 84% of plastic that is produced is thrown away every year. If those numbers were not scary enough, on a global scale, 24-34 million metric tons of plastics are dumped into our lakes, rivers and oceans every year.
How does all this plastic impact us? Economically, this single-use model is not sustainable and is actually costing Canadians roughly $100-$150 billion annually. Looking at the environmental impact, plastic related emissions have a huge impact on climate change since manufacturing since-use plastics utilizes fossil fuels (ethylene and propylene). This releases a large amount of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. At the current rate, plastic related emissions are equivalent to opening 195 new 500 megawatts coal fire plants that operate at full capacity.
This current system is no longer feasible if we want to ensure a sustainable, regenerative future. One of the main reasons why the plastic problem is so big is because for a long time, we have been following a linear economic model. This means that at the end of a product’s life cycle, it will be thrown “away” and will no longer be in use. More simply, our current system functions in 3 steps: take, make and dispose. To solve this, we need to completely transform our current system. Adopting a circular economy model is the solution to steer us into a regenerative future.
WHAT IS A CIRCULAR ECONOMY?
A circular economy model is financially, environmentally, and socially sustainable. Waste is planned out of the system, and materials are reused and recycled, thus returned to production. It is distinguished by its closed-loop material flow, in which materials are recycled or repurposed using renewable energy. It accomplishes this without exhausting resources and can be continued indefinitely without creating waste in the environment. Essentially, at the end of a product’s lifecycle, instead of it being thrown away, it recirculates back into the system where the materials are repurposed by its producers. This will lead to greater accountability for companies to manage their waste and design waste out of the system at the very source.
HOW CAN WE SHIFT TO A CIRCULAR ECONOMY?
According to the World Circular Economy Forum 2021, there are four pathway solutions that exist: scaling innovation, behaviour change, voluntary agreement, and regulatory changes. Each of these propose unique solutions to creating change.
Scaling innovation in clean technologies would fast track solutions to repurposing plastics. For example, designing new plastic resins from waste creates a regenerative plastic lifecycle. Using AI to track and collect the plastic dumped into our oceans allows us to understand it’s impact and optimize the system.
Driving behaviour change would mean making more sustainable choices when it comes to plastic use. For example, using reusable bags instead of plastic bags when grocery shopping or refusing plastic straws. By reusing and dematerializing, fewer production processes are needed, therefore less resources are needed.
Voluntary agreements would entail introducing more institutions to recycle more products. For example, providing the resources for the sorting and manufacturing of recycled plastics. This would mean providing a system that would allow everyone to easily recycle their products.
Regulatory pathways, such as extended producer responsibility, would involve introducing policy changes to impose more sustainable practices, while having producers consider the whole lifecycle of the product they make.
Adopting the circular model would offer so many advantages in terms of the environment, economy and our society. An Ellen MacAuthur Foundation study found that following this model could halve carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 to the 2018 levels. The reuse of material lowers production costs and raw material needs, which can lead to savings of up to 70%. New jobs of the future will include engineers needed to create lasting and easily disassembled products, as well as innovation in materials transformation and production. A new wave of businesses specialized in services facilitating the adoption of the circular economy and supply chains is already emerging.
Each of these solutions will be beneficial to creating more sustainable practices. However, of those four solutions, regulatory changes will be the most effective and efficient way to transition into a circular economy. This will ensure long-term prosperity but will also cause a shift in consumer norms and change the current patterns of plastic consumption. Policy changes can have the power to accelerate the shift to a circular economy and support businesses working towards a regenerative closed loop system. We all have a part to play in this global shift. By changing our behaviors, rethinking our practices and waste management, and demanding policy change from our governments, we can build a prosperous regenerative future for generations to come!