Commonly used plastics pose many threats to human health and the environment, making them one of the most pressing environmental issues of our time. But in the landscape of the various plastics that surround us, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) stands out. Not only is it found everywhere, from home furnishings to children’s toys and medical supplies, contributing to widespread, irreversible plastic pollution, but it is also associated with grave toxic effects along its whole life cycle – from production to disposal.
Save us “Chemical Recycling” Man! Oh wait…you can’t!
Meet “Chemical Recycling” Man. Not your run-of-the-mill comic book superhero. This one is propped up by the petrochemical industries.
These industries like to claim that chemical recycling will create “virgin-like” quality plastic. But beware – this isn’t true! Because of low oil yields and contamination, pyrolysis oil must be diluted by a mixture made up of crude oil, derived from fossil fuel (in some cases by a ratio of over 40:1!). Chemical recycling treatment cannot process the diversity of post-consumer plastic waste.
In this handy infographic, developed from Zero Waste Europe’s Leaky Loop ‘Recycling’ report, we visualise the weakness of “chemical recycling” as a method of recycling by personifying “Chemical Recycling” as an arrogant superhero who thinks they can save us all, only to meet their ‘kryptonite’ through the demands of the public for virgin-like quality.
APPEAL TO EU LEADERS TO PRIORITISE A FAIR AND INCLUSIVE GREEN TRANSITION IN THE NEXT POLITICAL MANDATE
With just one month until the EU elections, we appeal to you to make a top political priority of the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution given the devastating impacts and growing intensity and frequency of climate-related events for ecosystems, health, economies, social justice and cohesion.
NGO-Business Coalition supports the objection to the draft Implementing Act for the calculation of recycled plastic content in single-use plastic beverage bottles
A Plastic Pollution Free EU – Plastics and the EU elections
The EU elections will largely determine what guides EU politics and laws for the next five years. Even though plastic is driving some of the dominating issues of this election, there is a great danger that it will be pushed off the agenda – that’s rubbish! We need decisionmakers who will strive to reduce plastic production, support reuse, eliminate toxic chemicals, and deliver real solutions to the plastic pollution crisis to protect us and future generations.
Plastics’ injustice. A just transition to address an unjust pollution
Plastic proliferation and pollution fuel the triple planetary crisis: climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. They impact us all, but not equally; thus they exacerbate injustice. A just transition, commonly described as ensuring that the much needed green transition is happening in a fair and inclusive way and leaves no one behind, can both put an end to plastic pollution, guarantee human rights and bring social benefits.
Plastics And Climate. Carbon bombing through and through
Treating plastic waste is an energy-intensive process, creating 193 Mt CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per year. That’s more than the annual emissions of two Belgiums! These emissions are projected to increase despite improvements in waste management. But plastics don’t only create emissions at the end of their life. Plastic is created from oil and gas and 90% of GHG emissions actually occur at the production stage.
Plastics and Nature entwined. How plastic pollution drives biodiversity loss
Did you know that there is even a new disease impacting seabirds ingesting plastic that has been evidenced and named “Plasticosis”? That is how severe plastic impacts on biodiversity are! It is estimated that close to 2800 different marine species, such as turtles, seabirds, fish, marine mammals and coral reefs, are known to interact with plastic debris, often becoming entangled, trapped or suffocated by it.
Resourcing A Material World. How the EU can fund real solutions
Did you know that the production of plastics requires the extraction of finite fossil fuels? In 99% of the cases, plastic is made from resources such as coal, oil and gas. The remaining 1% are made from crops or forestry resources.