By Emily Hay 9th November 2024
For a long time, I have believed the view that recycling is the way forward for our ever-increasing stockpiles of used plastic. Since China closed the doors in 2017 on our plastic waste (and the rest of the worlds’), we have scrambled to address this previously invisible issue, but which is now glaringly obvious. An example of this is last weeks’ announcement that Greater Sydney will run out of landfill space by 2030, on the current trajectory of rubbish creation. But, if only we could build enough new recycling plants – bigger and better ones. If only we could create attractive products made from 100% recycled materials that everyone would happily rush out and buy. We would mutually congratulate ourselves on humankinds’ amazing ability to manoeuvre out of the deep hole we are digging ourselves down into and think we are somehow winning. Another triumph over nature. The reality is that the planet is collectively drowning in plastic. In 2000, we consumed per capita around 92 kg per person, per year – by 2020 this figure had increased to 148 kg per person – to the projected figure of around 260 kg per person by 2050, a truly disturbing amount. Currently we only recycle around 14% of our plastic waste each year and this figure is falling. Quite simply, we are not even keeping pace with our plastic waste but are slipping further behind as each year goes past. 
The undeniable truth of recycling
The reality of recycling is that it is costly, difficult, ineffective and dangerous for the environment. The actual process of recycling releases further chemicals and hazardous wastes into an already polluted world. The ideals of recycling are to reduce the need for natural resources, reduce unnecessary landfill, ease demand on fossil fuel supplies and reduce carbon emissions – all of which are worthy – but when it comes to plastics recycling and the extraordinary quantity that we are dealing with now and into the future, they are basically not relevant. To begin with, recycling plastics is expensive and harmful. Recycling plastic into products is pointless if there is no viable market for them. It’s like having a well-stocked shop but only a few are interested in the goods. Of plastic waste that is recovered to convert into being used for energy – called ‘processed engineered fuel’ – the process actually creates more pollution than the original use. Researchers found that ‘the CO2 emissions generated from plastic waste-to-energy systems are higher than those from current fossil fuel-based power systems per unit of power generated’. This practice is therefore worse for the planet. To burn plastic waste releases toxic air pollution which is linked to cancer. Claims of ‘bio-based plastics’ being better for the environment are based around ideal conditions needed for biodegrading or composting, which are often not practical. Out of 3.8 million tonnes of plastic used annually in Australia, just 0.3% would be able to be composted. Composted plastic is essentially another example of ‘green washing’. The challenges of recycling plastic, as stated in a report recently by Greenpeace, are: The difficulty is collecting plastic, then separating it into types of plastic for recycling, not creating more toxic pollution in the process, not releasing more microplastics into the environment, and not costing taxpayers exorbitant amounts. Soft plastics are particularly challenging because they absorb food and become contaminated, and in the recycling process – they clog up machinery, so make up a very small percentage of recycled plastics. Most ends up in landfill or blows away, ending up in the ocean. Most recycled plastics are downgraded into low value items such as park benches, railway sleepers and building materials. Takeaway containers, plastic bottles and cups cannot be recycled into new packaging, graded for food, as the plastic may have become toxic. Plastic items can come into contact with toxic chemicals throughout their life cycle – this can then compromise the recycled product. Furthermore, plastic degrades when it is recycled – just 1% of plastic has been recycled more than once. Australians are eager to address the problem of plastics recycling, especially soft plastics, as evidenced by the huge uptake in collection for REDcycle, a soft plastics collection and recycling organisation that ultimately collapsed in 2022 under overwhelming supply and not enough demand for end products. REDcycle tried to address the issue of soft plastics recycling in Australia, but ultimately failed, in the face of an avalanche of soft plastic waste.
Dealing with plastic waste politically in Australia
To date, Australia has largely adopted an out of sight, out of mind approach, by burning it, burying it or shipping it off to third world countries to process, taking advantage of softer environmental laws and financial hardship, at great risk to them. When China stopped accepting our waste in 2017, the government stepped into the abyss, declaring that the export of plastic waste would cease in 2020; governments and industries would increase their use of recycled content; problematic and unnecessary plastics would be phased out by 2025 and there would be transparency around these noble goals. More plans followed: by 2025, 100% of packaging was to be reusable, recyclable or compostable; 70% of plastic packaging was to be recycled or composted and 50% of packaging was to use recycled stock content. It became clear that these targets were a bit of a joke, and the government revised the goals to be 2040 – a whole fifteen years later – in which we will most likely be dealing with a tsunami of plastic waste. This may sound extreme, but if you look at the facts and the trajectory of what’s happening right now, it is a real and valid point to make. There is an overwhelmingly majority response from Australians in favour of reforming and legislating to address the plastics crisis, including waste reduction targets for producers, suppliers and retailers, as follows:
- Phasing out all single use plastics
- Banning plastics that cannot be collected by councils
- Introducing laws that ensure plastics contain recycled, not virgin material.
Most Australians believe it is the responsibility of the plastic packaging industry to address the problem of plastic, not the end user. 
Plastic waste now
Plastic packaging being uncontained in collection systems is responsible for 32% of the world’s rubbish. While the fishing industry and sea-based shipping contribute to plastics in the ocean, the majority comes from land, via rivers. In 2022, Clean Up Australia Day volunteers estimated that 63% of all rubbish collected was plastic waste, which was a figure that had increased by 17% from the previous year. New items included vapes, face masks and RAT tests. It is depressing that humankind keeps creating new ways to pollute the planet – I understand the Covid crisis – the world was definitely not thinking collaboratively about the environment then – but vapes? Surely reusable vapes could be adopted more broadly than single use ones. Remember the basic point that the low hanging fruit in this whole issue is single use plastics – the easiest category to address right now.
Oil & plastics industry
The plastics industry, unless forced, is never going to voluntarily choose the expensive option of using recycled oil stocks to make plastic. Virgin sources are far cheaper than recycled materials. Plastics are made exclusively from gas and oil, and currently make up around 6% of the worlds’ oil use. On the current trajectory, it is expected to rise to 20% by 2050. As the planet transitions to electric transport, oil and gas companies will be hitching a ride (no pun intended), shifting from the uncomfortable reality that burning fossil fuels has and is creating catastrophic climate change, and heading over to the relatively greener fields of more plastics production, thereby ensuring ongoing profits. Win, win for them. Lose, big time, for the planet. The plastics industry continues to promote the concept of recycling as the great solution, whilst at the same time they are ramping up production – they plan to invest $400 billion into new petrochemical plants in anticipation of being forced to use recycled stocks. A 2021 report found that 100 of the world’s largest plastic producers are using 98% virgin oil stocks. This hardly sounds like the actions of an industry determined to save the planet from excess plastic waste and rapidly increase recycling. And if so, where are all the latest technological advances in plastics recycling and new products created in state-of-the-art facilities? Nowhere. Just new petrochemical plants to make more plastic. The plastics industry eerily reminds me of the tobacco industry of old, when they knowingly denied the link between smoking and cancer, contested the truth about the harm of second-hand smoke, and produced skewed research that promoted nicotine as not being addictive. It sounds like a bad joke now. But even today, the tobacco industry is a major contributor to carbon emissions, water contamination, waste and environmental issues, despite claiming to care for the environment. The tobacco industry had one objective – profits – over health. The plastics industry is doing the same – promoting recycling as the solution and then ramping up stockpiles of virgin product – oil and gas – to make the plastics of the future. To name a few: ExxonMobil plans to increase its virgin plastic production capacity by 35% Sinopec plans for a 36% increase PetroChina comes in a 38% SIBUR gets the prize for most unenvironmental with a production increase of 240% Sound familiar? The plastics industry is clearly concerned with profits ahead of a healthier environment. Plastic is everywhere now. It is in every waterway in the world. It’s in our breast milk, the placentas of newborn babies, our blood, saliva, liver, kidneys and even penises – with the possibility that it may be linked to erectile dysfunction. We are apparently ingesting up to a credit card’s worth of plastic each week – a horrendous thought! It is the invisible enemy, harmful in so many ways that is becoming clearer all the time. It is linked to cancer, decreased productive health, weight gain, respiratory disease, asthma and more. 
Figure 1:World's highest rubbish dump - Mt Everest. Photo by Sylwia Bartyzel on Unsplash - Please see Sylwia's story at the end of the blog...
Conclusions
One of the biggest problems with promoting the concept that most plastic is recyclable or recoverable and that it is good to do so, is that it gives humanity a green light to freely proceed with using plastics. As long as we can pop our recycling in the bin and see it trundle away each week or fortnight in a big truck, we are absolved of responsibility. If people are led to believe that plastics are not a problem, that recycling is the answer and the governments of the world are busy organising the construction of new facilities that will address this problem, then there is zero incentive to reduce plastic use in the first place. Recycling is certainly one of the solutions, but definitely not the main one. It is a myth, a misconception, that is promoted by the rich and powerful oil industry, together with governments lacking environmental integrity, as the only way forward. Another point to make is that while we are currently in a world that is, or should be, transitioning away from using fossil fuels – until such time as plastic can be made from plant-based oils that are viable, affordable and not harmful to the environment – well made, quality plastic items are a part of the solution. If you think about a good quality plastic container that is in your kitchen cupboard that you have probably owned for many years – how many single use plastics (such as plastic wrap) has that container saved or eliminated in its lifetime? The answer is almost certainly going to be ‘plenty’. Single use plastics are the immediate enemy, whilst quality plastic items are part of the answer, at least for now.
What you can do to help – and there is plenty!
Reducing plastic whenever and wherever possible should be a priority for everyone. Single use plastics make up around a third of all plastic waste and are the easiest category to address right now.
- Plastic bags, whether thick or thin, should be avoided. Take a bunch of Ecosilk shopping bags, or any other quality fabric shopping bags, to use instead of plastic bags to do your shopping.
- Keep an Ecosilk bag in your handbag or your pocket, so you can whip one out when you need to carry something.
- Take your own quality, reusable storage container to the supermarket to buy deli items, or to the butcher to buy meat. Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) confirms that none of the food safety laws in Australia prevent retailers from letting customers use their own containers. Just make sure they are clean so there is no reason to be refused and ask nicely! Never underestimate the power of buying and choice and how that can create change. If a shop refuses to use your container – smile, walk away and go to a shop that will happily use your container.
- Choose meat, fruit and vegetables that are NOT packed on a plastic tray.
- Take your own Fruit & Vegie bags – there are plenty on the market. Ecosilk Fruit & Vegie bags are on special now – buy them here: https://www.ecosilkbags.com.au/fv-bags/
- In the supermarket, choose plastic packaged items that are made from recycled plastic.
- Take a reusable cup for coffee when you’re out or remember to smell the roses – sit down and take a break in a café that has real crockery.
- If you consistently eat out and take home the leftovers – change your mindset and take a reusable container with you to avoid yet another single use, cheap plastic takeaway item.
- Say no to balloons.
- When out walking, pick up a few pieces of rubbish with you. I live near a national park where few people walk, so if I don’t pick it up, I know it will probably end up in the ocean, a sobering thought. It feels good every time I see rubbish and pick it up.
- Sign petitions, write to politicians, do whatever it takes, take whatever opportunity arises to save our planet from the scourge of plastic pollution.
- Landfill Lids in rubbish dumps are a new way forward to stop things like plastic waste from blowing away to end up in the ocean. Read about it here: https://wastemanagementreview.com.au/landfill-lids-offer-solution-for-challenging-landfill-management/ Encourage this great new invention – tell a friend of colleague about it…
Ecosilk shopping bags can be purchased in singles or packs of four or six. If you buy four or more, you get a free drawstring bag – a good saving. Find your favourite colour here: https://www.ecosilkbags.com.au/environmentally-friendly-shopping-bag/ For a great gift idea – Christmas is coming soon – a pack of four shopping bags is affordable, looks great with Great Barrier Reef themes such as Coral, Shoal, Turtle, Starfish, Crown of Thorns and more: https://www.ecosilkbags.com.au/shopping-bags-4-pack/ A percentage of the profits of all packs go to the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS), who protect our oceans and the Great Barrier Reef in a myriad of ways. 
Sylwia’s Story
In November 2019, my partner and I did the “Everest Base Camp Trekking”, which leads from Lukla to the Everest base camp. In the last settlement where we slept (that’s where the last buildings on the route are), Gorak Shep (5180 m), we went for a short walk around the area and behind a small hill I saw a huge pile of rubbish. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing… I decided to take this photo and share it to show the dark side of this popular route. You can see mainly single-use water bottles there. We used our reusable bottles at every step – you can buy boiled water on site instead of bottled water. But many people don’t respect mountains, nature and see it as a business…
The mountain visible in the background of the photo is Nuptse (right behind it is Everest).
That was 5 years ago. What does this place look like now? It’s hard to say… It’s not easy to get rid of that much plastic from an altitude of over 5,000 meters.