EC calls for clearer thinking on eco-plastic strategy
Improved plastic waste forecasts and environmental impacts along with studies on the feasibility of redesigned and biodegradable plastics and better waste management systems are some of the key issues to be addressed, urged Brussels.
Unthinking pursuit
In a briefing note ‘Plastic waste: redesign and biodegradability’, the directorate explores how an unthinking pursuit of so-called eco-plastics and eco-design may actually cause more harm than good to the environment.
The unknown effects of biodegradable plastics on flora and fauna as well as the potential consequences on food prices by using crops such as corn or soya for bioplastic feedstock are some of the variables that need to be weighed up in this highly complex environmental equation.
The brief said that more accurate and regionally developed forecasts are need on plastic waste, waste management and the eco-impact of the materials.
Conducting the research would allow a targeted introduction of relatively scarce bioplastics – which currently only account for up to 0.2 per cent of EU plastics - where they would have most effect.
Waste stream hazards
Better life cycle analysis are vital that not only include the direct impacts related to waste but also those connected to production of feedstock – such as water, land and fertiliser use.
“There also needs to be more agreement on methods so different types of plastics and products can be compared”, said the body.
The paper evaluated redesign of plastics and explains this can occur at a chemical level - by producing polymers from renewable sources such as cellulose - or by lightweighting an existing material or boosting its capacity for reuse or recycling.
More scrutiny of this area is key “not only to study the technology and cost, but also to identify those products and polymers providing the most benefits”, said the Commission.
It added that at present eco-design research lacks evidence on design for re-use and recycling, and calls for research on “whether current waste management infrastructure can deal with the new breed of plastics”.
Bioplastics can lower the quality of recycled materials, such as PET bottles, if they are not removed during the separation stage, said the paper by way of example.
The view of the European Plastic Recyclers’ Association was also noted that “unless there are separate collection and recycling systems, both bioplastics and oxo-degradable plastics could compromise the progress that plastic recycling has made over recent years”.
Clearer biodegrability standards
Greater clarity on the meaning and parameters around biodegradability is also key. It cautions against confusion between “purely biodegradable plastics” and oxo-biodegradable plastics.
“Biodegradable plastics are not by definition bio-based and bio-based plastics are not always biodegradable,” it said.
It acknowledges that standards on biodegradability, compostability and recyclability do exist but added “however, the implementation of standards may need revisiting”. The Environmental Directorate notes that the compostability standard EN13432 is only used in Germany, Poland, the UK, Switzerland and the Netherlands.
It welcomed the current development by the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) of a technical specification for bio-based plastics looking at carbon content, due for release next year.
But it declared: “Clearer certification and labelling schemes are needed to ensure the public understand what is meant by biodegradable, compostable or eco-friendly.”
The use of the so-called Ecolabel for those products designed for greater durability or recyclability was applauded. But the Commission suggested this could be improved by making it more specific to plastic by the creation of a separate plastic Ecolabel.
R&D shift
R&D focus in the plastics industry also needs to shift from the ‘use’ stage of the product to the ‘end of life’ stage.
Highlighting the differences in waster management infrastructures across the region, the brief said: “impact assessment of Bioplastics on infrastructure should be at a national and maybe regional level to ensure the advantages of these new plastics are not outweighed by their disadvantages.”
