{"id":5677,"date":"2021-07-29T12:16:19","date_gmt":"2021-07-29T17:16:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ecooptimism.com\/?p=5677"},"modified":"2021-07-29T12:16:19","modified_gmt":"2021-07-29T17:16:19","slug":"plastic-free-july-with-some-updates-to-my-list-of-bans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecooptimism.com\/?p=5677","title":{"rendered":"Plastic Free July, with some updates to my list of bans"},"content":{"rendered":"

This having been Plastic Free July<\/a> (it\u2019s not too late to make your Plastic Free commitments!), I\u2019ve updated the EcoOptimism<\/a> list of Plastic Bans Worldwide<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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screen shot from EcoOptimism’s Plastic Bans Worldwide<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Australia has a fragmented policy that, for instance, stresses reducing plastics at beaches. On a more advanced level, they are attempting to ban microbeads. However, the phaseout is voluntary. But the most interesting part is that they are including bioplastics<\/a> in the plastic phase out plans, acknowledging that bioplastics are not the great solution most people think they are. While it\u2019s nice that they aren’t petroleum-based, their compostability is misleading. Despite being (mostly) plant based, they don\u2019t break down in standard compost facilities, instead requiring higher heat and sunlight. Furthermore, they muck up recycling streams when they get included with other plastics and it may be impossible to tell them from other plastics because they are included in the catchall number 7 \u201cother\u201d plastics category.<\/p>\n

New York State is banning<\/a> (by Jan 1, 2024) those little bottles of toiletries used in hotel rooms. (But they were so cute!)<\/p>\n

There are many bans in effect or going into effect in European countries, but the EU as a whole is taking on some measures<\/a> including a target for recycling of 90% of plastic bottles by 2029 and 50% of plastic packaging by 2025.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s coincidence (I doubt it) that Mattel announced earlier this month the \u201cBarbie Loves the Ocean\u201d line. In their writeup, Inhabitat says it\u2019s made from 90% recycled ocean-bound plastic parts sourced within 50 kilometers of waterways in areas that are lacking formal waste collection systems. But like Lego\u2019s announcement a couple of years ago that it would make parts from recycled plastic, this is somewhat misleading in that it is only a small part of their production. (To be fair, according to Mattel<\/a>, \u201cThe launch is in line with Mattel\u2019s goal to achieve 100% recycled, recyclable or bio-based plastic materials across all its products and packaging by 2030.\u201d)<\/p>\n

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Image from Mattel website<\/p><\/div>\n

Perhaps more significantly, they also announced a takeback program called PlayBack. Though less press-worthy at first glance (which, after all, is what gets press \u2013 and therefore notice), it\u2019s their start of what\u2019s called Extended Producer Responsibility, a concept that\u2019s becoming less conceptual in which manufacturers take responsibility for their products throughout the product\u2019s lifetime, including the end of life, so that fewer things end up in landfills.<\/p>\n

While Plastic-free July is well and good, the idea of a plastic-free month strikes me as similar to meatless Mondays. Why only one month of no single-use plastics or only one day a week of no meat?<\/p>\n

This UN banner from back in May gets it right: \u201cNo More Single-use Plastic.\u201d Period.<\/p>\n

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Photo credit: David Bergman<\/p><\/div>\n

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