Get rid of plastic packaging – are you mad?

There has been much in the UK media recently about the need to eliminate plastic packaging. The shocking pictures from the BBC series “Blue Planet” showing just how much plastic ends up in our oceans has been a wake-up call. We have to do something to fix this. And it seems that the solution is obvious – we even have 200 members of parliament writing to major supermarkets calling for plastic-free aisles. Let’s rid the world of plastic packaging. But I worry that we are in danger of “throwing the baby out with the bath water.”

It is important to understand what the problem is first – what is the problem we are trying to solve? Then let’s investigate the problem and see if we can understand the root causes. After that, we can focus our solutions on the root causes. This is the most efficient and effective way to solve problems. Jumping straight to solutions without even understanding the problem risks unfocused, inefficient actions and unintended consequences.

So what is the problem? Too much plastic in the oceans. What sort of plastic? Mostly packaging. Where does it come from? Mainly 10 rivers – 8 in Asia and 2 in Africa. Why from those rivers and not other ones? They pass through very populated areas where there is limited collection and even less recycling of plastic waste. Of course, the reasons for this limited collection and recycling are many and varied but by focusing on those, we have a good chance of having a real impact on the problem and reducing the new plastic going in to the oceans. We could also work on ways to try to reduce the plastic that is already there and reduce our use of unnecessary plastic packaging such as bottled water and plastic-coated single-use coffee cups.

But – the focus in the media and by the MPs seems to be on getting rid of plastic packaging in the UK all together.  Given what the problem is and the source for much of the plastics in the oceans, getting rid of plastic packaging in the UK seems an odd solution. It doesn’t appear to be focused on the root cause(s). And, of course, it does not consider the unintended consequences. In many circumstances, plastics are the most effective and efficient type of packaging. Using films and modified atmosphere packaging to wrap fresh meats can more than double shelf life. Cucumbers can last weeks rather than days when shrink-wrapped. These huge increases in shelf life mean much more efficient supply chains with larger, more efficient production runs, fewer deliveries, less stock rotation and, most importantly, much less waste from farm to plate. 1/3 of food in the UK is thrown away – food that uses resources to be grown, processed and transported. Plastics, when used appropriately and handled well at end-of-life are a real boon to the environment by substantially reducing food waste.

We must try to reduce packaging to a minimum – reduce, reuse, recycle. But let’s define the problem first before we go rushing off into seemingly simple, populist solutions that may have unintended consequences. The first step in solving a problem is to define the problem. Then try to understand the root cause(s) and  develop solutions focused on theose root cause(s).

Packaging has an important job to do. And plastic packaging plays a very important role in keeping food waste down.

Let’s not get rid of plastic packaging!

Text: © 2018 Dorricott MPI Ltd. All rights reserved.