Author Archives: David Evans

Plastic production relies on oil and gas, yet reducing output has not been put forward as a response to the energy crisis. Until now. A new report says this is the moment for bold action.
That our collective relationship with plastic is unhealthy, has been well documented. It’s a relationship we have come to take for granted and from which we struggle to move on despite its often toxic nature.  But it’s also one that is little understood. Findings released Tuesday by the global Break Free From Plastic movement and the non-government Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) show the dynamics at play and how using less plastic would leave more energy to heat homes.  In their study ‘Winter is coming: plastic has to go’, CIEL and Break Free From Plastic, which counts more than 1,900 NGOs among its members, say scaling back on single-use plastics and packaging is a concrete step decision-makers could take to contribute to the overall effort to reduce fossil fuel consumption. It is, the authors write, time for the EU to “confront the petro-elephant in the room: plastics.” The link between gas, oil and plastic Derived from fossil fuels, produced in energy-intensive processes, and whether dumped, incinerated or recycled after use, plastics go hand-in-hand with emissions at every stage of their life.  Yet their production in Europe increased from 0.35 to 55 million tons between 1950 and 2020, and plastic is the EU petrochemical industry’s largest market. According to Tuesday’s report, in 2020 nearly 15% of overall EU gas and 14% of oil consumption was used to make petrochemicals. The majority of that went towards the manufacture of plastics. The findings note, for example, that as much gas was used to make plastics, as was consumed overall by the Netherlands.  Equally, the countries that consume the most oil and gas to produce plastics — Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Poland — are also responsible for 77% of all EU plastic packaging waste. Against that backdrop and in light of the scramble to source gas from outside Russia, Delphine Levi Alvares, European Coordinator of Break Free From Plastic, says it is a serious oversight not to include the sector in the EU’s Save Gas for a Safe Winter proposal aimed at securing heat and power across the bloc in the coming months.  “While families and small businesses are facing skyrocketing energy bills, the petrochemicals industry is wasting scarce resources to produce unnecessary single-use plastic, fueling the EU energy crisis,” she said on publication of the study.  Three birds, one stone Andy Gheorghiu, a climate campaigner who was involved in the report, says the fact that people are being told to shower cold and heat less while “we continue to feed this monster called the petrochemical and plastic industry with large amounts of oil and gas” reveals a serious disconnect between the expectations on individuals and industry.  But he also stresses how tackling single-use plastics at this juncture offers a genuine opportunity to “address three crises at once: the plastic crisis, the climate crisis and the energy crisis.” The authors are calling for a ban on unnecessary packaging The report lays out a raft of recommendations to that end. They include EU states putting a decreasing cap on overall packaging allowed to enter its markets, a limit to the volume of plastics produced globally and a halt to the construction of new fossil fuel infrastructure including petrochemical facilities. The authors also call for ambitious and binding prevention and reuse targets of 50% by 2030 and 80% by 2040 and bans on unnecessary packaging such as single-serving sachets and the wrapping of fruit and vegetables. Plastic lockdown in Europe? But Gheorghiu goes a step further.  “I personally would say now is the time for a lockdown of the plastic industry in Europe.”  In other words, he would like to see an immediate and complete stop of virgin plastic production. At least for the winter. He also advocates for a thorough European-level analysis based on the findings of the report.  “It should include expanding our research and going through the petrochemical industry and listing what kind of products they are producing to see if they are essential or not.” An estimated 855 billion plastic sachets were produced in 2018 — they can rarely be reycled As things stand any such lockdown doesn’t appear to be in the offing. In a statement to DW, press spokesman Adalbert Jahnz said the European Commission was, however, “implementing a comprehensive plan for a transition towards a regenerative economy,” which would address “the use of all resources, including fossil fuels for plastics through numerous actions such as legislating.” Though Europe has taken some steps on plastic, including its 2018 strategy, subsequent ban on certain single-use items, and current role in working towards an internationally binding agreement on ending plastic pollution, the report notes that the bloc has yet to take any steps to directly stop the production of new plastic. Reducing plastic production vs. high energy bills Gheorghiu hopes that besides highlighting the correlations between the plastic, climate and energy crises, the new research will “kick-start a debate around virgin plastic production and the need to further reduce single-use packaging in Europe.” He is optimistic that the prospect of the coming winter means the findings will resonate with both policy-makers and the general public.  “I think it is much easier for a politician to implement measures that tackle single-use plastics than it is to implement other measures that tackle things like heating systems in people’s homes or that increase energy bills.” Edited by: Sarah Steffen

As plastic pollution continues to be a global problem affecting both human and environmental health, scientists have developed new biodegradable materials which could help to rectify this.
Plastic is now so widespread it has been found at the bottom of the deepest oceans and near Everest’s peak, while microplastics have even been found in our blood.
Hoping to solve this issue, scientists at the University of California San Diego have developed materials which have been proven to biodegrade in compost and seawater by a study published in Science of the Total Environment. 
Working alongside the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the team found their polyurethane foam, developed over the last eight years, was colonised by marine microorganisms and biodegraded back to the starting chemicals.
These microorganisms, which were mainly bacteria and fungi found in natural marine environments, then consumed these chemicals as nutrients.

‘Improper disposal of plastic in the ocean breaks down into microplastics and has become an enormous environmental problem,’ said Stephen Mayfield, professor in UC’s School of Biological Sciences and director of the California Center for Algae Biotechnology. ‘We’ve shown that it’s absolutely possible to make high performance plastic products that also can degrade in the ocean. Plastics should not be going into the ocean in the first place, but if they do, this material becomes food for microorganisms and not plastic trash and microplastics that harm aquatic life.’
The researchers used the Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial Pier and Experimental Aquarium which allowed them to test the materials in a natural near ecosystem, exactly like the environments plastics tend to end up in.
They also exposed foam samples of the material to tidal and wave dynamics, tracking molecular and physical changes, and found that it started degrade in as little as four weeks.
Microorganisms found in six marine sites around San Diego were also discovered to be capable of breaking down and consuming the polyurethane material.
‘No single discipline can address these universal environmental problems but we’ve developed an integrated solution that works on land—and now we know also biodegrades in the ocean,’ said Mayfield. ‘I was surprised to see just how many organisms colonize on these foams in the ocean. It becomes something like a microbial reef.’
It’s hoped this could go some way to helping to tackle the global plastic crisis, as researchers estimate that eight billion kilograms of plastic enter the ocean each year, collecting in locations such as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
In the UK, the Big Plastic Count found Brits collected 1.8 billion pieces of plastic within a week, leading organisers to call for an end to single-use plastics.
Photo by Daniel Zhen, Algenesis Inc.

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As of today, Montreal businesses are no longer allowed to distribute disposable plastic bags. That includes everything from retail stores and supermarkets to takeout and delivery.And that’s just fine for Janou McDermott who has been collecting different types of reusable grocery bags for years.”The more people you see with reusable bags, the more it’ll lead by example,” she said. “I think that more people will follow suit and I think once there are no more alternatives, you’ll have to get onboard.”In a news release, the city says only 16 per cent of bags are recycled while the rest often end up in the environment, taking up to 1,000 years to break down. The plastic impacts ecosystems and the film contaminates the paper bales in sorting centres, the release says. The ban will significantly impact the quality of sorted paper at recycling centres, it says.”The fight against climate change is everyone’s business and we hope that this strong gesture can equip other municipalities to follow suit,” Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante is quoted as saying in the release. Some stores offer alternatives you can buy, such as brown paper bags or reusable bags. Stores that continue to offer plastic bags can be fined as much as $1,000 for a first offence and up to $2,000 for repeat offences. Janou McDermott checks a label while carrying her reusable shopping bags in a grocery store in Montreal’s west end.

A four-year-old tech startup in Nigeria is hiring internally displaced women to recycle waste, as part of a growing number of recycling initiatives in the country.

Founded by Rita Idehai, a geologist and environmental expert, Ecobarter is attempting to reduce dumpsites blocking waterways, drainages and gutters, in an effort to prevent deadly and costly flooding in the Nigerian capital of Abuja.

“The problem of waste management in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) requires urgent attention,” Mark Chukwuemeka Ebisike, an environmental expert consulting the Nigerian government, tells Next City. “Dumpsites are everywhere, and not much has been done about it. The incessant flooding in the FCT can be linked to this.”

Janet Peni, Deputy Director of Information & Communication at the Abuja Environmental Protection Board, agrees: “The flooding in the FCT is partly our fault: we, the residents of the FCT, have a poor attitude to waste disposal.”

Ecobarter is working to change such attitudes by allowing residents of Abuja to create value from everyday waste: The company rewards waste pickers with cash for collecting recyclables, and hires Nigeria’s internally displaced women to transform collected waste into fashion and household items.

Work opportunities

Khadijat Annayim, 32, is one of 150 internally displaced women working with Ecobarter. After her husband was killed in 2014 by Boko Haram insurgents, she was forced to flee Nigeria’s northeastern Borno state with her four children.

“It has not been easy to be here,” Annayim says. “We used to struggle even to eat. Since I started work in Ecobarter, I have been getting some money to take care of my needs.”

Through Ecobarter, Idehai aims to not only address local environmental and infrastructural crises but also provide a measure of financial security for internally displaced people, or IDPs, who are effectively refugees within their own country.

“I’ve been that child that always wanted to make an impact,” Idehai says. “IDPs are some of the most disadvantaged members of our community, and their living conditions clearly needed some improvement. I felt they would be able to do a lot for themselves if they are financially empowered.”

The company pays the IDP women based on their output. Each yard of weaved fabric earns them NGN 1,000 to 1,500 ($2.40 to $3.60). Some women weave two to three yards daily.

“Ecobarter rented a large plot of land on which the recycling site is situated. The remaining portions of land are used by the women for farming,” explains Hauwa Mahmoud, a 40-year-old literacy coach volunteering to teach the women at Ecobarter to read and write.

“When they are not weaving, they work on their farms, cultivating maize, beans, yams, soy, and groundnuts,” she says. Organic waste collected from local markets is used to produce compost for the farms. “They consume almost all the crops they harvest, and sell the rest,” she adds.

Collecting waste

Around 100 scavengers collect waste for the company. “They are the young boys you see everywhere picking waste from dumpsites and people’s bins,” Idehai explains.

“Per kilogram of plastic we pay about NGN 40-50, of paper or carton NGN 50-60, and as much as NGN 150-200 for metal,” she adds.

“We also collect waste directly from households and sensitize people so that individuals understand the importance of recycling,” Idehai says.

Ecobarter recently launched a mobile app to offer waste pickup services to users across Nigeria, and not just Lagos and Abuja.

“The waste is weighed and credited to the Ecobarter wallets of the subscribers,” Idehai explains.

Lack of awareness

In four years, Ecobarter has generated NGN 15 million with no help from the government. “When we started, we were collecting 2,000kg of waste per month, now it’s between 20,000 and 30,000kg,” the founder says.

Ebisike, who advises the government on environmental issues, believes the government needs to partner with the private sector. The Abuja Environmental Protection Board is slowly beginning such public-private collaborations.

“This partnership has been very helpful,” Peni says. “If not for their contribution, it would have been very difficult for us to deal with waste management. We give them our best support, but because of cash constraints, we cannot supply them with all their needs.”

The cost of logistics and the low level of awareness about the importance of sustainable waste management remain a major challenge, however.

“We have to spend a lot of money on educating people, designing campaigns and incentivizing them to understand the importance of recycling and the dangers of indiscriminate waste management,” Idehai says.

“It is important for us that there is a behavioral change towards how people manage their wastes in their homes.”

This article has been published in collaboration with Egab.

Chidi Nwachukwu is a freelance journalist in Nigeria.

Antarctica is one of Earth’s last largely pristine places. A decade ago, about 33,000 tourists visited the southern continent each year; today, that number has more than doubled to over 74,000 [PDF]. But with them come non-native species that can disrupt fragile ecosystems, further damaging highly trafficked areas and increasing pollution.To lessen visitors’ impacts in Antarctica, scientists and polar tour operators are balancing the risks to the delicate environment with the need to foster stewardship of the remote region—by engaging the tourists themselves.A 2012 study found that each Antarctic visitor distributes an average of 9.5 non-indigenous seeds across the continent. However, these hitchhikers aren’t limited to those clinging to humans; more recent research found that small marine organisms from all over the world catch rides on ships bound for Antarctica. These may not seem like big problems—in other oceans, commercial cruise liners leave oil, plastic waste, and sewage in their wake—but any invasive species has the potential to disrupt a habitat in which it has no natural predators. Over time, foreign plants and animals brought by humans can become established in their new environment and crowd out the endemic species [PDF].The International Antarctic Association of Tour Operators (IAATO), founded in 1991, promotes “environmentally responsible” tourism to the frozen continent. That includes hypervigilant efforts to stop the arrival and spread of non-native species and incorporating the latest science into their tourism policies. Such proactivity and foresight are critical for the continent’s health and their own bottom line.IAATO and its affiliated research scientists are now encouraging these tourists to have a positive impact on the South Pole—and the entire planet.  Tourists learn about Antarctica’s geology during a scientific lecture in the field. / Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images“Instead of passively telling visitors about the research that goes on in Antarctica, we can get them to participate through citizen science programs,” Allison Cusick tells Mental Floss. “It’s an immersive experience.”Cusick , a Ph.D. candidate in biological oceanography at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, co-founded the FjordPhyto initiative to investigate how melting glaciers are affecting phytoplankton communities along the western Antarctic Peninsula. She and her colleagues have enrolled more than 4000 Antarctic tourists as citizen scientists to sample the waters and gauge the productivity of the marine ecosystems while they’re on their bucket-list trips.FjordPhyto collaborates with the Polar Citizen Science Collective (PCSC), a clearinghouse for scientists wanting to launch citizen science projects at the poles and tour operators who want to offer the experience to their guests. In addition to FjordPhyto, the PCSC has helped polar researchers connect with citizen science volunteers for studies ranging from cloud surveillance to marine mammal identification. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship. “With citizen science, we researchers can expand our scope of questioning, and it keeps people curious about the world around them,” Cusick says. Tourists inspect a glacier from an inflatable Zodiac. / Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty ImagesAntarctic visitors have a role after returning home as well. IAATO’s members encourage their clients to become “Antarctic ambassadors” by sharing stories about their experiences there and advocating for conservation.It’s not just about giving visitors the trip of a lifetime, Daniela Cajiao tells Mental Floss, “but how we can make these life-changing experiences last.” Cajiao, who recently earned a doctorate at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, co-authored a study earlier this year that examined what happens after Antarctic tourists concluded their visits. She discovered that, while guides show tourists that they have a role in supporting policies protecting the fragile landscape, the efforts don’t always translate to environmental actions.Today’s Antarctic visitors are attuned to the social aspects of exploration and more likely to learn from interactive activities, like citizen science initiatives, than on-board lectures, Cajiao explains. Her study suggests that citizen science projects and adventures tailored to these attitudes are correlated with tourists acting for the environment after their vacations end. This is extremely important in the context of Antarctic conservation, she says; action, not thoughts or feelings, is what will help preserve the polar ecosystem.“Why do we care about this giant ice desert?” Cusick asks rhetorically. “Because it’s crucial for the health of the entire planet.” And caring about what happens at the South Pole shouldn’t be limited to scientists., experts say. When we’re inspired to learn about a place and experience its beauty, we form a deep connection to something bigger than ourselves. The key is instilling a sense of wonder so profound it stays with Antarctica’s tourists long after they return home.Related Tags

From chemical recycling to plant-based alternatives, scientists size up the most promising solutions to plastic pollution

By Samantha Wohlfeil / InvestigateWest

When dealing with the life cycle of plastic, hundreds of solutions await, from alternative bioplastics that might be able to degrade themselves through the magic of fungus, to complex chemical recycling that can break plastics down to become other petroleum products or to be rebuilt good as new.

A reporting project by InvestigateWest examining one of the most problematic pollutants of the 21st century: plastic. This series was funded in part by the Sustainable Path Foundation.

But as promising as chemical recycling and next-generation plastics may sound, experts also say some of the most realistic solutions to plastic pollution involve eliminating it from packaging as much as possible.

Decision-makers are asking: How can manufacturers design their plastic packaging to be recycled more easily after consumers are done with it? Should packaging all be the same color of plastic to avoid dye-based contamination in recycling processes? Could markers on different types of plastic help imaging robots at sorting facilities do their jobs better when diverting containers by type? Which products could avoid using plastic altogether?

Currently, the vast majority of plastic recycling is done by mechanical methods. First, post-consumer plastics are divided by number; for example, the PET plastic (polyethylene terephthalate) commonly used for beverage bottles needs to be separated from the HDPE plastic (high-density polyethylene) that’s often used for laundry detergent containers. Each group is then often shredded and melted into pellets that can get remelted and formed into new packaging. Or different plastics can be repurposed into boards for outdoor decks or processed into fibers for carpets and clothing. 

But because heat can degrade the polymer chains (strings of repeating molecules) in plastic, there are limits to the number of times plastic can be “recycled” in the truest sense of being made into a new product.

With those limitations in mind, many people, from those working for the largest oil and chemical manufacturers (think BP and Dow) down to individual entrepreneurs, are experimenting with chemical recycling as a potential way to recycle even more plastic. Less than 10 percent of the stuff actually gets recycled, but chemical recycling offers the promise of rebuilding the molecule chains that are broken down with heat, as well as the possibility of converting plastics into fuels and other compounds.

Whether some of the newer chemical recycling proposals will actually succeed is a question. Common constraints include the high costs of building and powering processing facilities, the purchase of expensive chemicals, and the challenge of reliably sourcing materials uncontaminated with food scraps, dyes, or other types of plastic or garbage. Other concerns center on the greenhouse gas emissions of the chemical recycling process and, in the case of turning plastics into fuels, burning the end products, and whether those climate costs are less than those caused by creating virgin plastic.

Meanwhile, innovators of all ages are developing plastic alternatives made from things like fish skin, vegetable starches and other biodegradable substances that offer the promise of rapid decomposition when disposed of properly, a sharp contrast with the thousands of years that traditional plastics may linger in the environment. 

As people figure out whether chemical recycling or plastic alternatives can prevent plastic pollution — which has already tainted air, water and land around the globe — local governments around the country are still getting a grasp on the recycling options that already exist.

Washington state’s wakeup call came about five years ago when China stopped accepting highly contaminated bales of recycled materials from around the world. Washington lawmakers, responding to the loss of a market that took upwards of 60 percent of the state’s recycled materials, created the Recycling Development Center in 2019. Lawmakers instructed the state Department of Ecology, via the new center, to help create domestic markets for the state’s recyclable materials. 

Washington was on course to lead the way in tackling big recycling problems surrounding plastics and other materials, but the Recycling Development Center got off to a slow start as the COVID-19 pandemic caused agencies to shift to remote work and Gov. Jay Inslee froze  unnecessary hiring. The center’s 14-member advisory board, made up of scientists, manufacturers, environmentalists and more, started meeting virtually in 2020, later offering grants to pilot recycling projects and funding studies that identified recycling options and issues.

Truckloads of plastic bottles, cardboard, glass and newspaper run along an intricate set of conveyor belts and bins to be sorted at Waste Management’s Spokane Materials and Recycling Technology (SMaRT) Center. (Young Kwak/Inlander)

“We had resources from the Legislature that we couldn’t use to hire a consultant, so we set up a little grant program for local governments and universities,” says Kara Steward, director of the Recycling Development Center. 

Recently, the center has been able to support business accelerator competitions, such as NextCycle Washington, which aims to identify innovative ideas that can create a circular economy for materials like plastic. People with promising ideas will get help pitching to investors and connecting with groups that have far deeper pockets than a state program, Steward says. 

“We’re really excited because this is not the kind of thing the Department of Ecology does,” Steward says. “We’re about keeping human health and the environment clean, and I’m over here going, ‘But wait, I want to give money to businesses!’ Everybody around me is like, ‘You can’t do that.’ ‘Yeah, actually, I think I can.’”

New ideas that focus on solutions outside of the recycling system are also welcomed, as packaging innovations may better reduce the waste we create.

“We can’t recycle our way out of the plastic problem,” Steward says. “We’ve recycled 8 percent of the plastic manufactured since the beginning of plastic. We’ve got to think outside the box, do new things, and NextCycle Washington is a great way to try and give a boost to those innovations that just need a little bit of help.” 

RECYCLING OPTIONS

In a 2021 report funded by the Recycling Development Center, research professor Karl Englund and a civil and environmental engineering team at Washington State University outlined existing chemical and thermal recycling options for plastic — such as heat-intensive solutions like pyrolysis and gasification, or catalyst-based solutions like glycolysis — and assessed their viability to operate in the Pacific Northwest.

Chemical recycling can create new plastics, syngas (made from hydrogen and carbon monoxide from wood, plastics or other sources), bio oils and other products.

The report found there could be enough post-consumer plastics in either eastern Washington or the Puget Sound region to support a chemical recycler on either side of the state if consumer recycling rates were to increase significantly — from a current rate of about 8 percent to 50 percent. But the report also notes that the costs to open a new facility can be prohibitive, especially as the market prices for end products can vary.

“There is a definite need to secure investment dollars to make any recycling process a success,” the report states. “Having investors that are educated and informed about the recycling supply chain is a must for them to be comfortable to invest in what can be a somewhat risky venture. Without sufficient investment management, smaller companies and start-ups will have a difficult time securing investments and mitigating risks.”

The research team also compiled a database of hundreds of existing recyclers. Though it was updated in spring 2022, the list could already be updated with 100 new companies trying to work on plastic recycling, Englund says. Maintaining a reliable list is a challenge, as companies often make a big splash when they announce their promising new recycling process, but some fade away if their process doesn’t pencil out or get funding, Englund says. 

Massive multinational companies such as Dow or BASF, which make additives that help in the more popular mechanical recycling processes, are more likely to stick around, as their products are readily available and backed with more finances, Englund explains. 

Even when new facilities do open, they don’t always work as intended. One company in recent years offered Boise, Idaho, the ability to recycle its plastic films like bags and peel-back container tops into diesel fuel, but much of what was collected ultimately ended up getting burned for energy rather than converted to fuel, Reuters reported last year. The company said the switch was due to high levels of contamination in Boise’s recycling stream, but Reuters noted that multiple other “advanced recycling” projects around the world had also failed or been significantly delayed in recent years, largely due to high costs. 

Plastic Recycling TermsPyrolysis: In this process, waste such as plastic is heated in an environment without oxygen. This can break plastic down into crude oil and gases.

Glycolysis: This process breaks down plastic through the use of catalysts that break certain molecular links.

Gasification: Combining plastic with heat, oxygen and steam (or a similar combination), the material can be turned into syngas.

Syngas: Synthesis gas is made from many materials that can create a combination of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. When made from plastic (using heat and oxygen or steam), syngas can be used for several things, including fuel for fuel cells to generate electricity.

Polyethylene terephthalate: Also known as PET or PETE, this plastic is used widely for beverage containers and is the most recyclable.

High-density polyethylene: Also known as HDPE, this plastic is often used for things like laundry detergent containers and is also known for being easier to recycle than some other plastics.

Polyvinyl chloride: A type of plastic also known as PVC.

Polystyrene: Also known as Styrofoam, this plastic has historically been less easy to recycle because its lightweight, bulky nature makes shipping adequate supply to recyclers difficult. However, some chemical recyclers have taken on the material.

However, Englund says that while many news outlets may focus on the recycling failures, scientists and businesses are making significant progress to advance chemical recycling.

“The guys in the plastics world are busting their butt to make this happen,” Englund says. “Do we all need to do more? Yeah. But at least we’re taking steps in the right direction, and I am cautiously optimistic.”

New alternatives need to be assessed to ensure they’re a better option than continuing to churn out new plastic.

For example, say that a store switches to glass bottles that can be returned for a deposit, washed, refilled and put back on the shelf. Does the weight of transporting those glass containers in vehicles contribute to worse gas mileage and a larger carbon footprint than lightweight, recyclable plastic containers? How much water is needed to clean the containers versus produce new ones? 

Chemical recycling can create new plastics, syngas (made from hydrogen and carbon monoxide from wood, plastics or other sources), bio oils and other products.

For advanced recycling, companies have to calculate whether the energy needed to chemically break down and rebuild plastics is higher than the greenhouse gas emissions of creating new plastics.

Upstream, packaging design decisions can also help make products more recyclable.

Take a plastic container that holds bleach wipes. If the body of the container is white, the top of the container is another color, and the label is printed directly onto the plastic, those dyes can “contaminate” the process when recyclers are trying to achieve one homogenous color, Englund says.

“When we develop that plastic at the very beginning, we’ve got to look and say, ‘How can I get this back to this form at the end of its life?’” Englund says. 

A better design for that container of wipes might be as simple as using one color for the entire container and printing the label on paper, which is far easier to remove before the chemical recycling process and also could be separately recycled, he says.

Englund also wonders whether other design features such as symbols imprinted with infrared ink could help materials recovery facilities more easily sort the different materials. 

There may also need to be changes on the consumer side, he says, as a lot of design is based around consumer preferences for package appearance.

“How do we as a society learn to accept things not in a million different colors [with] all these cool things added to it?” Englund asks. “You know, hey, it’s just milk.”

Some states are helping tip the scale in favor of circular systems by requiring higher percentages of post-consumer recycled materials in packaging in coming years. Some are also passing “extended producer responsibility” rules that require manufacturers to pay for the recycling of their products at the end of their life cycle. Those policies could make some plastic recycling methods pencil out, as manufacturers will be more inclined to buy the recycled products to meet state mandates.

As a high school freshman and sophomore in Spokane, Wash., Anna Armstrong studied the potential of fungus to enhance composting. (Paul Conrad/InvestigateWest)

SEE A PROBLEM? INVENT THE SOLUTION

Amazingly, you don’t need to work in a multimillion-dollar lab backed by a massive corporation to design a plastic alternative. 

For 18-year-old Anna Armstrong, the desire to help solve the world’s plastic problem started particularly young. Early in her freshman and sophomore science classes at Ferris High School in Spokane, Armstrong studied the potential of fungus to enhance composting. As she saw how difficult it was to compost bioplastics that are already available in the grocery store, she wondered if she could invent an alternative.

She researched some of the options being explored, such as using the skin of invasive fish species to make bioplastics, which tackles two environmental problems at once. But working with smelly fish skins wasn’t exactly appealing.

Her compost work led her to a specific fungus, Aspergillus oryzae, and she wondered if it could be used to break down the types of plant starch-based plastics, such as compostable trash can liners, that are becoming more popular in the plastic-alternatives field.

“Aspergillus oryzae is found in Asia a lot of the time in food management because it is used for fermenting rice,” Armstrong says. “I was looking into what it does, and it kind of links to the starch and starts to eat away at it, which helps the fermentation process. So I cross applied that to plastic degradation to see how I could fix a separate problem.”

During the last two years of her high school biomedical innovation classes — much of the time working remotely due to the pandemic — she researched sustainable sources for arrowroot powder, vinegar and vegetable glycerin that could create thin sheets of plastic similar to those found wrapped around products on store shelves, and set to work creating her own prototypes. 

“I tried probably 30 or 40 recipes before I actually landed on one that I could use,” Armstrong says. “The ratios can be pretty tricky.”

She also tried to adjust her methods to make the prototypes more transparent and with as few visible imperfections as possible, because consumers can be picky. 

Armstrong took her bioplastic to the Eastern Washington Regional Science and Engineering Fair, where she took first place for her invention and went on to compete virtually in the International Science and Engineering Fair in Atlanta, Georgia, where she placed fourth in the world in the environmental engineering category this year. Judges there helped her talk through how to reduce water usage when creating the bioplastic film and coached her on how to describe her work.

Anna Armstrong’s bioplastic placed fourth in the world in the environmental engineering category this year at the International Science and Engineering Fair in Atlanta, Georgia. (Paul Conrad/InvestigateWest)

This fall, she’s starting college at Western Washington University, where she plans to major in environmental science and minor in environmental justice. Ultimately, she wants to get her PhD in mycology (the study of fungi, such as mushrooms) as she continues developing her product, which she hopes to see on store shelves one day.

“I want to prove that it isn’t impossible to make a plastic that actually works and is environmentally friendly,” Armstrong says. “If I can do it at 17, then scientists who have been working forever in the environmental engineering field should be capable of making it with years of experience.”

Part of her passion also stems from growing up with fears of how climate change will impact the planet in her lifetime. She says scientists are trying everything they can to get the world to heed their warnings, but it doesn’t seem like anyone is taking action.

“I really want to live in a world [where] I don’t have to worry about what the future generations can look like, and not even future generations of humans, I’m talking about all the flora and fauna that lives in the world and depends on the environment around us,” Armstrong says. “Fear isn’t an excuse to be complacent. Because other people haven’t done it doesn’t mean you can’t.” 

FEATURED IMAGE: Joseph Lopez of Seattle and other volunteers collected marine trash at Golden Gardens Park in Seattle. (Dan DeLong/InvestigateWest)

InvestigateWest (invw.org) is an independent news nonprofit dedicated to investigative journalism in the Pacific Northwest. Visit invw.org/newsletters to sign up for weekly updates. This story was made possible with support from the Sustainable Path Foundation.

Deadly Hurricane Ian was downgraded to Tropical Storm Ian on Thursday morning but was still dumping record amounts of rain to bring “catastrophic flooding” across Florida while still packing damaging winds across a 415-mile swath of the state.President Biden declared a major disaster for the state and Gov. Ron DeSantis is slated to give an update from the state Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee at 8:45 a.m.Advertisement“The Coast Guard has been performing rescue missions on the barrier islands consistently since the wee hours of the morning,” he said. “We’ve also been working with hospitals overnight who’ve been on generator power. We’re in the process of evacuating two healthcare facilities.”He said the power outages in Southwest Florida is intense.Advertisement“Lee and Charlotte are basically off the grid at this point,” he said saying power restoration will take time. “Charlotte and Lee reconnects are really going to likely have to be rebuilding of that infrastructure.”Rising floodwaters stranded vehicles across Central Florida and law enforcement in Volusia County reported the area’s first death while the statewide toll has yet to be determined after hurricane’s storm surge devastated the Gulf Coast.“While I don’t have confirmed numbers, I know the fatalities are in the hundreds,” said Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno on ABC’s “Good Morning America” this morning. Lee County was ground zero for Hurricane Ian’s landfall on Wednesday afternoon.DeSantis, though, said at this point there were only two unconfirmed fatalities in the state.“None of that is confirmed. I think what that is is there were 911 calls for people saying, ‘Hey, the water is rising in my home. I’m gonna go up in the attic but I’m really worried.’ Of course those folks are now again to be going to be checked on, and so I think you’ll have more clarity about that in the next day or so,” DeSantis said. “We’re obviously hoping that they can be rescued at this point.”Reports of people trapped in homes continued to flow in overnight while destruction has included washed out bridges, the roof of a hospital intensive care unit and flooded highways.In the National Hurricane Center’s 8 a.m. update, the system’s center was located in Brevard County about 40 miles east of Orlando moving toward Cape Canaveral at 8 mph with 65 mph sustained winds and higher gusts.Rain totals approaching 20 inches were forecast across parts of the peninsula prompting flash flood warnings across Central Florida while more than 2.6 million people were without power across the state by 8 a.m.AdvertisementTropical Storm Ian cone of uncertainty as of 5 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022. (National Hurricane Center)The storm that made landfall Wednesday afternoon as a massive Category 4 hurricane after lashing southwest Florida with 155 mph winds, only dropping speed as it carved its way inland moving northeast through the state overnight. At 2 a.m. it was still rated a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph winds.“Widespread, life-threatening catastrophic flooding, with major to record river flooding, will continue today across portions of Central Florida with considerable flooding in northern Florida, southeastern Georgia and eastern South Carolina expected today through the end of the week,” said NHC senior hurricane specialist Robbie Berg.The National Weather Service in Melbourne issued an updated Flash Flood Warning through 8:45 a.m. as the Little Wekiva River was already a foot higher than record levels.“We are now at historic level never been at this point in recorded history,” said Alan Harris, chief administrator for the Office of Emergency Management.At 6:39 a.m., radar and rain gauges indicated heavy rain falling in Little Wekiva River showing between 6-10 inches with another 3-5 inches possible. The flash flooding could affect parts of Altamonte Springs, Maitland, Lake Mary, Longwood, Wekiva Springs, Forest City, Fern Park and Heathrow.“This is a particularly dangerous situation. Seek higher ground now!” reads the warning. “Do not attempt to travel unless you are fleeing an area subject to flooding or under an evacuation order. Turn around, don`t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.”AdvertisementOther flash flood warnings continue in Central Florida as well including southeastern Orange County and north central Osceola County through 8:45 a.m.“Local law enforcement reported heavy rain in the Orlando metro. Between 10 and 15 inches of rain have fallen. Additional rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches are possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is already occurring,” the NWS stated.Even a section of Florida’s Turnpike has been shut down because of flooding, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.Volusia County law enforcement reported an overnight death of a 72-year-old Deltona man who had gone outside during the storm to drain his pool.“Deputies responded to a home on Poinciana Lane near Lake Bethel around 1 a.m. after the victim’s wife reported he disappeared after heading outside. While searching for him, deputies found his flashlight, then spotted the victim unresponsive in a canal behind the home,” according to a press release from the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.This infrared radar image shows Tropical Storm Ian over Florida on Thursday morning, Sept. 29, 2022. (NOAA – GOES-East)“On the forecast track, the center of Ian is expected to move off the east-central coast of Florida later today and then approach the coast of South Carolina on Friday. The center will move farther inland across the Carolinas Friday night and Saturday,” hurricane center forecasters said.Advertisement“Some slight re-intensification is forecast, and Ian could be near hurricane strength when it approaches the coast of South Carolina on Friday. Weakening is expected Friday night and Saturday after Ian moves inland.”Winds have been increasing across Central Florida since midnight. Orlando International Airport reported a gust of 57.5 mph just before 2 a.m., while Patrick Space Force Base had a gust of 61 mph.Power outages hit Southwest Florida the hardest including most residents of hard-hit DeSoto, Charlotte, Lee and Collier counties, according to poweroutage.us. By 8 a.m. about 650,000 people were without power in Central Florida.The National Hurricane Center said the eye of the Category 4 hurricane made landfall near Cayo Costa State Park at 3:05 p.m. just north of Sanibel and Captiva Islands after its eyewall lashed residents in Charlotte and Lee counties for the last several hours.The system had been pummeling the coast with near Category 5 sustained winds of 155 mph with higher gusts most of Wednesday.After passing over the barrier island and moving up through Charlotte Harbor in a similar path to 2004′s Hurricane Charley that also carved its way into Central Florida, the still Category 4 hurricane made its second landfall close to Punta Gorda near Pirate Harbor at 4:35 p.m. with sustained winds of 145 mph.AdvertisementThursday morning, President Biden declared a major disaster in Florida, making millions in emergency recovery aid available, especially to the nine counties hit hardest.“The President’s action makes Federal funding available to affected individuals in the counties of Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Hardee, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Pinellas, and Sarasota. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster,” reads part of the declaration. “For a period of 30 days from the start of the incident period, assistance for debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct Federal assistance, is authorized at 100 percent of the total eligible costs.”DeSantis said the state will push for more federal help.“We have received a major disaster declaration for nine counties. but we do expect more. I just spoke with the president this morning and he offered support,” DeSantis said. “I told him thanks for this but because the storm has moved inland and caused a lot of potential damage in the center part of our state that we are going to be asking for those counties to be expanded and included there.”Images of damage since Wednesday show a massive swatch of destruction from floodwaters and wind. A section of the causeway leading to Sanibel Island washed away. It’s the only mode to access both Sanibel and Captiva Island from the mainland by car.AdvertisementThe barrier islands are home to more than 6,000 people.In Port Charlotte, the storm surge flooded a hospital’s emergency room even as fierce winds ripped away part of the roof from its intensive care unit, according to a doctor who works there.Water gushed down onto the ICU, forcing them to evacuate their sickest patients — some on ventilators — to other floors, said Dr. Birgit Bodine of HCA Florida Fawcett Hospital. Staff members used towels and plastic bins to try to mop up the sodden mess.The medium-sized hospital spans four floors, but patients crowded into two because of the damage, and more were expected with people injured from the storm needing help.“As long as our patients do OK and nobody ends up dying or having a bad outcome, that’s what matters,” Bodine said.Law enforcement officials in nearby Fort Myers received calls from people trapped in flooded homes or from worried relatives. Pleas were also posted on social media sites, some with video showing debris-covered water sloshing toward the eaves of their homes.AdvertisementBrittany Hailer, a journalist in Pittsburgh, contacted rescuers about her mother in North Fort Myers, whose home was swamped by 5 feet of water.“We don’t know when the water’s going to go down. We don’t know how they’re going to leave, their cars are totaled,” Hailer said. “Her only way out is on a boat.”As of 5 a.m. Thursday, Ian had dumped so much rain across Central Florida that flash flood warnings continue for parts of Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Brevard and Volusia counties.The torrential rain earlier prompted the weather service to issue a Flood Warning for the St. Johns River near and above Lake Harney in Seminole County, saying that record flood stage coming.“As Hurricane Ian moves into east central Florida early this morning, historic heavy rainfall will continue, leading to quickly rising levels on the Saint Johns River Above Lake Harney at Geneva,” the NWS said in its warning just after 11 p.m. Wednesday.River levels were approaching or surpassing flood stage and record heights across the state by Thursday morning, according to measurements from the NWS.AdvertisementBy 5 a.m. Peace River near Zolfo Springs in Hardee County was approaching 26 feet in depth more than 9 feet higher than flood stage. Other rivers cresting across the state included the Ocklawaha, Myakka and Little Manatee rivers.In Central Florida, portions of the St. Johns were approaching 3 feet over flood stage while the Little Wekiva River had risen more than 6 feet than normal surpassing flood stage.“Heavy rainfall will continue this morning from Osceola and Brevard Counties northward, along and north of the track of Ian’s center,” the NWS said as of 5 a.m. “Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches are expected in southern Lake, Orange and northern Osceola and Brevard Counties, 3 to 5 inches in Seminole and northern Lake Counties, and up to between 5 and 10 inches in Volusia County.”Tropical Storm Ian cone of uncertainty as of 5 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022. (National Hurricane Center)Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke after landfall noting that some who stayed behind in the evacuation zones are calling for rescue now, but he warns the response will be delayed.“We know that there are folks who are in the really high with risk zone A evacuation zones, who did not evacuate,” he said. “Some have called in, and those people are being logged and there will be a response, but it’s likely going to take a little time for this storm to move forward so that it’s safe for the first responders to be able to do.”He said the intensity of the storm will only fall behind the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, 1992′s Hurricane Andrew and 2018′s Hurricane Michael in the state of Florida, saying that on review, the NHC may even upgrade it to a Category 5.Advertisement“At a minimum, it’s going to be a very strong Category 4 that’s going to rank as one of the top five hurricanes to ever hit the Florida peninsula,” he said.He said while its path is similar to Hurricane Charley, its effects will be much more vast.“You can compare Charley to this. This is way, way, way bigger than Charley,” he said. “It was as strong as Charley coming in, but Charlie was much smaller. So this is a big one. I think we all know there’s going to be major, major impacts.”He noted Hurricane Irma in 2017, which affected a large portion of the state, saw many more deaths after the storm passed, 77 compared to 7 from the storm itself, and warned again for residents to stay safe and avoid hazards.“A lot of that is standing water, downed power lines, misuse of generators, so please just take precaution,” he said.Earlier Wednesday, the National Weather Service in Tampa posted an “Extreme Wind Warning” for parts of Manatee, Charlotte, Lee, DeSoto and Sarasota counties.Advertisement“You need to get into the interior of your home and begin to brace for a period of sustained damaging, potentially devastating winds,” said Rhome. “Do not venture outside at all. do not try to evacuate at this point. you really have to get into the interior of your house and ride this part out.”State Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie warned those enduring the high winds to not venture outside if the weather suddenly clears.“You’re most likely to have bright sunshiny area here very soon. You’re in the eye of the storm,” he said. “Stay inside, stay indoors. Do not go outside. … That eyewall will collapse, so please stay safe.”NWS Meteorologist Cassie Leahy said Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties should expect hurricane conditions, with sustained winds of 50 to 70 mph and gusts of 90 to 100 in the evening and overnight. In Lake County, the prediction was slightly better: gusts of 75 to 80 mph.Leahy said the biggest worry for the Orlando area was not be the wind, but the water.“That is our biggest concern, even with as high as the winds are going to be,” she said. “We’re expecting it could be historic flooding for sure, especially across the rivers up there. … People need to be prepared that this could be historic flooding that they haven’t seen.”AdvertisementAbout 12 to 18 inches of rainfall is expected across the region with local highs up to two feet, Leahy said.Rhome encouraged those in Central Florida to not wait before hunkering down with heavy rains coming.“Absolutely the I-4 corridor is a high risk of very heavy rain, that will produce flash flooding, impassable roads,” he said. “I’m telling you, you just need to get where you’re going, to stay and plan to be there. We lose so many people after a storm because they get out and wander about it, drive into flooded roads, powerlines might be down they just encounter. I know you want to see what happened. I know you want to see if your house, your neighborhood is OK. But please stay inside until conditions allow you to safely move about.”[ Where to find hurricane shelters in Central Florida ]DeSantis issued a major disaster declaration for all 67 counties to seek the federal government to reimburse 100% of upfront costs from the first 60 days after Ian’s landfall “to ensure that we can quickly recover and move forward into the response and recovery part.”DeSantis also said he was “appreciative of the Biden administration for responding in this time of need.”He said there are more than 250 aircraft, more than 1,600 high water vehicles and more than 300 boats of all drafts and sizes to be used in recovery efforts such as delivering supplies.Advertisement“I want to say thanks a lot of people who offer thoughts and prayers for the folks that are in the eye of the storm and that means a lot to us,” he said. “There’s also people that want to be able to do their part.”To that end DeSantis directed the activation of the Florida Disaster Fund so people can donate funds rather than sending items.“We have everything we need in terms of the immediate response needs, but there will be thousands of Floridians who will need help rebuilding,” he said.To contribute people can visit www.FloridaDisasterFund.org or text “disaster” to 20222.DeSantis asked residents to stay off the roads since thousands of line workers and other help from 26 states are poised and ready to go, and the Florida Department of Transportation will be out clearing roads of debris.“If you are on the roads you are putting your lives in danger,” he said.AdvertisementLive images from Sanibel Island webcams showed some streets flooded up to mailboxes after Ian’s visit.There are several webcams available up and down the Gulf Coast that showed the impacts of Ian as it moved ashore including from the Naples Pier, Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa, Fort Myers Beach and Englewood.“Clearly, this is a very powerful major hurricane that’s going to have major impacts, both on impact in southwest Florida, but then as it continues to work through the state,” DeSantis said from the state Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee Wednesday morning. “It is going to have major, major impacts in terms of wind, in terms of rain, in terms of flooding, so this is going to be a nasty, nasty day — two days.”Other posts showed surge flooding neighborhoods in Naples, Bonita Springs and Fort Myers onshore.Some show water levels up to the roofs of homes.This is Vanderbilt Beach in Naples, basically the first story of any structure is under water. Storm surge sweeping away boats, cars, homes across the lagoon covered, only rooftops can be seen. Ian is devastating SWFL and for reference we’re in Naples. This isn’t the worst of it. pic.twitter.com/zZKKm7QHYj— Lauren Leslie (@LLeslieNews) September 28, 2022

Posts from Naples are beach resorts showed cars being washed away and debris floating among the grounds outside the flooded ground floors.AdvertisementThe storm may have claimed the lives of several Cuban migrants whose vessel sunk in the Florida Straits near the Florida Keys, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.The USGS stated that after four migrants made it to shore near Block Island, a search for the remaining 23 began.“Crews rescued three people in the water about 2 miles south of Boca Chica,” the USGS stated on Twitter. “They were brought to the local hospital for symptoms of exhaustion and dehydration. Air crews are still searching.”DeSantis also appeared Wednesday with power company linemen awaiting deployment during a press conference in Lake City noting the storm was likely to bring tragic results.“So just understand the impact of the storm is going to be enormous,” he said. “There’s obviously some people who are in harm’s way by choice having hunkered down in their areas and we’re praying for them. Obviously there’s going to be rescue efforts made as soon as it’s safe to do so. … It’s going to be going to be a tragic event in many ways. But it’s something that we’re going to dig in on. We’re going to be there. We’re going to stand with the people who are most affected.”DeSantis gave a sobering view of how the storm will be remembered.Advertisement“I would just say it seems like over the last 12 to 24 hours every time you look at this storm, it’s just been bad news. It gets stronger, larger,” he said. “This is a really, really significant storm. It will be one of the storms people always remember when they think about Southwest Florida — probably be the big one. They always remember and if you know anything about our state and you go to Panama City, you know that Michael is just part of the DNA of the community. Homestead — Hurricane Andrew just part of the DNA — and this is going to rank up there with that, so we need the thoughts and prayers over the near-term, and then there’s going to be a huge effort on the back end, to help people and to get the communities back on their feet.”“It’s going to be historic,” said National Weather Service Melbourne meteorologist Kole Fehling.Staff writers Skyler Swisher, Katie Rice, Ryan Gillespie, Austin Fuller, Nelly Ontiveros, Stephen Hudak, Leslie Postal, Amanda Rabines, the Sun Sentinel and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

I get it. If industry has caused so much of the plastic problem, how can we expect them – or even trust them – to be part of the solution? But I believe that if we finally want to achieve a global agreement on plastic pollution that actually ends plastic pollution, we have to give companies and investors seats at the table because public policy is most effective when designed with all stakeholders.
To be honest, ideas like this used to get me laughed out of the business school classroom. One side of the class would say “the role of business is to make money, not improve society” and the other side of the class would say “once the government passes a law, business will just have to get in line, so why bother?” The notion that businesses had not only a positive contribution to make, but also were critical players never won me any friends on either side of the room.

But what if the industry believed that policies designed to reverse decades of externalities were actually good for their business in the long-term? What if they were incented to keep those policies enacted to level the playing field?

That is the opportunity we have in front of us with the global plastics treaty. For the first time, 150+ countries are negotiating a global treaty to end plastic pollution. We cannot squander the moment. To maximize the effectiveness of any treaty we need the private sector involved in the solution. Why? Time and again we’ve seen that we cannot rely on government regulation alone to get us there.

A case in point — attempts in the US to regulate cleaner air are fraught with complications and frustrated ambitions. In 1970, the US government enacted the Clean Air Act (CAA), a landmark legislation that empowered the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate air pollution, especially things like acid rain and toxic emissions from coal fired power plants. Fast forward more than 30 years to 2003, and the Bush Administration enacted the Clear Skies Initiative, which almost overnight changed how the CAA would be implemented, and reduced the EPA’s ability to enforce the law. This was such a shock and so antithetical to the spirit of the CAA, that the EPA’s top enforcement officer (the guy responsible for enforcing the law) resigned in protest. (Full disclosure: Eric Schaeffer, the EPA’s top cop at the time, became one of my first clients as well as an inspiration and mentor to me.) Most recently, this past year the US Supreme Court further reigned in the EPA’s ability to reduce air pollution by deciding it can’t regulate carbon emissions.
So, it took more than a generation, but what was once viewed as a massive victory for environmental policy has now been reduced to a mere shadow of its potential. We’ve seen the same thing happen with other supposedly settled policy battles, like abortion and gun control.

This is the impermanence of government. And it’s an inconvenient truth for policy advocates in the US and around the world. I started my career in Washington, DC because I believed policy was the key solution pathway to the problems that I cared about. However, I left Washington years later and transitioned to the private sector because I realized that policy is insufficient by itself. If industry is dragged kicking and screaming by regulation, the regulations will ultimately not have the desired outcome. Industry will always act in its own best interest and when the policies are viewed as opposing that interest, they won’t give up until they ultimately prevail, as we’ve seen in so many of these instances. We can’t afford for this to happen when it comes to plastic pollution.

Why We Need A More Nuanced View of Industry
It’s clear that we need a more holistic approach to solving these complex problems, and part of the solution lies with getting industry involved to help identify, create and finance scalable solutions. But getting to this point means we have to take a more nuanced view of industry. In fact, plastic pollution is perhaps the only environmental area where we have nearly universal vested interest and built-in alignment to solving the problem – think consumer packaged goods companies, chemical companies, beverage companies, NGOs, government bodies, banks, multilateral institutions, and on and on. Nobody wants plastic in the environment.
We need engagement from industry players for lots of reasons – not just for their investment dollars. My company’s work in Asia has proven that you can find investible enterprises that are innovating new ways and scaling proven ways to tackle the plastic waste problem. Institutional investors and corporates can provide valuable investment dollars but equally as important is helping integrate the operations of these young enterprises into the global supply chain; advising on product design; helping ensure greater transparency in the system – all with a view to building a circular economy for plastics. These are key insights and realities on the ground that can inform effective policy.
Earlier this week, 80+ organizations including businesses from across the plastics value chain, financial institutions and NGOs joined a coalition convened by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and WWF to call for and support an ambitious, effective and legally binding UN treaty to end plastic pollution (*Circulate Capital is part of this coalition). Many corporates are already demonstrating that they are leading government and regulatory action on a number of our most critical climate issues, so it’s not a stretch to see the value they could provide to developing a global treaty on plastics pollution that has tangible, meaningful results. We’ve already seen in the face of the US Supreme Court decision gutting the spirit and legal impact of the EPA that many corporates, from the leading global automakers to multinationals like Amazon, Danone, Meta, Microsoft, Netflix, PayPal, Tesla and a host of others, are going to continue to pursue their climate targets.
The bottom line is that a piecemeal or myopic approach to tackling our climate challenges won’t work, and this goes for the global plastics treaty, as well. There is no single silver bullet or magic wand that is going to miraculously solve such a significant global crisis. We need business, governments, NGOs, entrepreneurs and, yes, corporations, working together alongside institutional capital – so critical to scaling climate solutions – if we have any hope of quickly stemming the tide. I urge negotiators to ensure that companies as well as investors have seats at the table to develop a global treaty on plastic pollution – not as a party to negotiate against – but as an ally in ensuring the treaty’s success.

For some consumers, the phrase “vegan leather” tends to conjure up images of cheap, plastic-based materials — unnatural fabrics that threaten to stick around in landfills for an eternity. Thanks to media stories and viral twitter threads that incorrectly use “faux leather” and “plastic-based leather” interchangeably, the narrative of vegan leather wreaking havoc on the environment has taken hold in the minds of many conscious consumers.
Yet as is often the case with internet narratives, the truth is a lot more complicated. There are many different types of vegan leather alternatives on the market, each with a different environmental footprint. Some are indeed plastic-based, emulating the touch and feel of leather, but others are made from more creative ingredients, like mushroom, cactus, cork or even pineapple. 
Tweetstorms on the evils of vegan leather tend to leave out the massive environmental damage caused by the leather industry and cattle ranching, as well as the many leather alternatives on the market beyond plastic.

Animal-based Leather Creates Toxic Byproducts

Creating leather from raw animal hide is a three-phrase process: preparing, tanning and crusting. It’s the second step, tanning, that can cause pollution. Tanning involves soaking the animal hide in chemicals for prolonged periods of time to make it more flexible. The problem is these chemicals can and do leach out into surrounding environments.
Most leather tanneries use a variety of chemicals including chromium III, sulfuric acid, DDT and formaldehyde. One of the most important is Chromium III, which can be oxidized into Chromium (IV), a known carcinogen that has the potential to harm both workers and residents. 
In short? Leather creates lots of toxic waste. 
Researchers estimate that 5.8 millions gallons of chemical waste is pumped into open canals near the Buriganga River in Bangladesh, an area known for leather processing. These chemicals travel through the canals and into the river, making the water undrinkable. Local animals of the Hazaribagh region (which encompasses the Buriganga River) have been found with elevated levels of chromium in their blood. The industry’s hazardous waste has devastated the region, even though the majority of leather produced in the tanneries is exported to western countries, not sold to local citizens. 
The chemicals can also infiltrate more than the water supply. According to a 2006 study, “air and water pollution, widespread odors, poisoning from toxic gas, and unsafe disposal of waste are among the problems that have been experienced to a greater or lesser extent in the tanning industry.” One study linked chromium salts to higher cancer rates in Italian leather workers, especially nasal cancer, since they frequently breathe in the noxious fumes created during the tanning process. 
Finally, though leather biodegrades before plastic, it’s not exactly easily biodegradable. Under perfect conditions, tanned leather may biodegrade in a half century, but can easily last thousands of years. Leather products will likely pop up in landfills for centuries to come. 

Calf Leather Production Adds to Climate Emissions

Leather production is inextricably linked to cattle farming, indisputably one of the most devastating industries to the natural world — the primary cause of deforestation in the Amazon, one of the leading emitters of methane and CO2 and a polluter of rivers and lakes across the world. 
The climate cost alone is stark. Cattle ranching is on of the largest sources of climate emissions when it comes to the food sector and while leather is not always included in agriculture sector studies, the problems caused by beef and dairy production are the same for leather — cattle burp large amounts of methane and require huge amounts of land to raise. 
Per square meter on average, bovine leather has a cradle to gate carbon impact of 73 kilograms, including emissions from transportation, factories, machinery and distribution. By comparison, emissions for cotton are just 8.46 kilograms per shirt.
According to the Higg Sustainability Index, a standardized measure of consumer goods by the nonprofit Sustainable Apparel Coalition, non-animal-based fabrics like cotton, polyester and canvas all have a lower environmental impact than animal leather.

Why Leather Isn’t a Byproduct of the Meat Industry

Many proponents of leather claim the material is a by-product of the meat industry — arguing that using leather is a way to reduce waste from an already existing mechanism. But that leaves out a few key details. 
Byproducts are essentially leftover materials from a manufacturing process that tend to have far less value than the primary product. Leather is a global business worth over 100 billion dollars. Farmers do not treat rawhide as a leftover product. In fact, they take great care to slaughter their cows to keep the hide intact and sell it for a profit. The production of meat and the production of leather is therefore deeply intertwined. Leather is often referred to by industry professionals as a subsidy or co-product, not a byproduct.

Plastic Leather Has Its Environmental Drawbacks 

Plastic-based leather, also called polyurethane or PU, is one of the more common alternatives and it does have its environmental drawbacks. PU leather is not as durable as animal-based leather (however, it is waterproof and sunproof, unlike animal-based leather). It tends to wear down faster and is not biodegradable, meaning it will take up space in landfills.
But it’s not necessarily accurate to call plastic-based leather “vegan” — in fact, it’s often sold in items not identified as vegan. There are also many non-plastic vegan leather alternatives on the market to choose from, with more likely to come in the future. 

Vegan and Non-Plastic Leathers a Better Alternative

Among the more creative alternatives to leather, Mylo is leading the charge. Its products use mycelium, the underground root structure of mushrooms, to create the feel and durability of leather without the environmental concerns. Mushrooms are quick-growing, sustainable and animal-free. Mushroom leather has appeared on the runways of Paris Fashion Week and the lineup of Lululemon. 
Cork is also a fascinating alternative. Even though cork leather is derived from the cork tree, no deforestation is necessary since the process of extracting the bark can be done without killing the tree. The result is a durable material sporting unique tree rings patterns.Pinatex, a pineapple-based product inspired by traditional Filipino weaving techniques, is also making waves. It takes the pineapple fibers, a waste product of the food industry, and transforms it into a sleek, durable fabric. Not only does this replace the harmful tanning of the animal-based leather, but it also reutilizes a waste product that may otherwise have been burned, saving tons of CO2 from the atmosphere. 
These creative plant-based fabrics, sometimes collectively known as man-made celluloid fibers, are among the most environmentally-friendly products on the market today since they are biodegradable and don’t require massive energy or chemicals to produce. 
Some sustainable leather alternatives can be pricey, but they tend to last longer than plastic, which can mean more bang for your buck long-term. Of course, vegan alternatives to leather don’t always emulate the feel of leather at all, but instead mimic the function. Vegans are known to sport a hemp belt or canvas shoes – all cheaper and more accessible alternatives. 

Ethical Cost of Animal-Based Leathers

Animal-based leather also has a serious ethical concern, irrespective of the environmental impact. Animal-based leather requires the death of cows and the theft of their skin. Cows are known to be incredibly social animals, capable of making best friends and becoming anxious when separated from friends and kin. Cows enjoy play as much as dogs. Since leather is a subsidiary product of the meat industry, leather goods are usually taken from cows killed as young as one year old, less than five percent of their natural lifespan (akin to a human dying at age four). 
To view animals as products is to deny them autonomy, personality, and individualism – all qualities that cows demonstrate in spades. 

Balancing Sustainability, Ethics and Consumerism

It’s extremely difficult to make every clothing choice ethical and sustainable in an economy built on cheap and polluting products. 
Animal-based leathers have the potential to destroy rivers and the atmosphere through corrosive chemicals, while plastic alternatives have fewer carbon emissions but contribute to a growing microplastics problem. 
Some solutions are obvious — buy less clothing. Saying no to the whims of the fast fashion exploitation machine gives less power to their exploitative and unsustainable methodology. Buying thrifted, secondhand or upcycled clothing are all ways to reduce our consumer impact. 
Veganism, sustainability and conscious consumption are all just tools that can be used in tandem to minimize your impact. Becoming more aware of the hidden problems behind your clothing purchases — both environmental and ethical — are one way of nudging the world towards becoming a kinder place. 

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The life stories of enslaved people are crucial to a legal battle over a Louisiana petrochemical facility that could triple residents’ exposure to carcinogensby