Parliament says plastic should be reduced rather than replaced. https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/0a0548bdceab9c5ada6694cca35b692cce9cf4cc/0_316_4724_2834/master/4724.jpg?width=700&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=01d1c74172c6b7a346da6d9a07267a8e Plastic waste is found floating on the ocean surface. MPs were told that biodegradable cups pose the same problems to marine life as regular plastic cups. Photograph: Paulo Oliveira/Alamy Stock Photo A UK parliamentary committee has warned that compostable and biodegradable plastics could increase marine pollution due to a lack of infrastructure. Plastic alternatives are being used by many food and beverage companies, takeaway coffee vendors, cafes, and retailers. But experts gave evidence before the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, saying that facilities to dispose of the new packaging aren't in place yet and that consumers lack awareness of alternative materials. Much of the compostable packaging produced in the UK can only be degraded in industrial composting facilities, not home composting – but not all of it is sent to such facilities. Environmental groups told the committee that the rapid introduction of these alternatives could actually exacerbate plastic pollution. "If a biodegradable cup were to end up in the ocean, it would likely cause the same problems for marine life as a regular plastic cup," said Juliet Phillips of the Environmental Investigation Agency. The environmental think tank Green Alliance said there's evidence that the term "biodegradable" can lead consumers to believe it's okay to throw away, which can actually worsen pollution both on land and in the sea. Neil Parish, chairman of the House of Commons Select Committee, said: "Amid the move away from plastic, alternative materials are being used more frequently in food and drink packaging. We are concerned that these moves fail to consider the wider environmental impacts, such as higher carbon emissions. Compostable plastics are being introduced without the right infrastructure or consumer awareness to manage compost waste." The environmental group Clean Britain said: "The wave of bioplastics, biodegradable plastics, and compostable plastics being introduced has had limited public emphasis on their purpose or whether they are environmentally superior to the plastic packaging they are replacing." The committee, in a report on food and drink plastic packaging published Thursday, argued that the government should focus on reducing the use of plastic packaging rather than replacing it with other materials. "Reduction is far more important than recycling, and a radical shift is needed across all single-use packaging, plastics and more," the report stated. A government consultation on biodegradable and compostable packaging is underway. The consultation will examine whether standards should stipulate that these plastic alternatives can be composted at home. Libby Peake of the Green Alliance gave evidence to the committee, arguing that the standards needed to be reviewed. She said: "Some companies have already switched to alternatives, including bio-based and compostable plastics, paper, cardboard, and other materials that ultimately cannot be proven sustainable." Peake added: "You can't switch wholesale to bio-based plastics, aluminum, glass, or paper; these materials all have their own environmental impacts." Compostable packaging manufacturer Vegware said it advises consumers to dispose of its products as normal waste if they don't have access to a suitable composting environment. The committee said the government was shocked by how little information was available about the amount of plastic packaging on the market. The system relies on producers self-declaring their packaging footprint, and only companies with a turnover of more than £2 million and 50 tons of packaging are obliged to disclose this information. Parliament has recommended that this be revised to 1 tonne. Phillips of the UK Environmental Investigation Agency agreed with the report. She said: "To date, governments have paid too little attention to changing our unsustainable single-use habits to tackle the pollution problem. EIA urges governments to take note of its findings and adopt long-term strategies to promote the conversion of large amounts of packaging from wasteful, unnecessary, single-use to reusable and refillable solutions." According to a 2018 UN report, disposable, single-use plastics used in food and drink packaging - especially cigarette butts, plastic water bottles, plastic bottle caps, food packaging, plastic bags, plastic lids, straws and stirrers - are the most common single-use plastics in the environment. Source: The Guardian (2019/09/12) Compiled by: PIDC
