Plastics are high-performing, multi-application materials that have become an iconic feature of the modern industrial economy – for better, and worse. A symbol of rising living standards and domestic bliss in the 1950s, the material has gradually attracted more criticism as volumes rose and problematic waste ensued. The big question now is to know how to reconcile polymers’ undeniable functionality and a system that can work long-term, avoiding loss of material value and negative impacts…

Take plastic bags as one example – on the decrease in the UK, outlawed in San Francisco, and banned in parts of Africa and Asia. Could we be heading for a plastic prohibition? Sure enough, keeping overuse of plastic in check is a prudent move for governments, but a continual focus on reduction would cause some problems. Plastics undeniably have unique properties, critical in many applications today. For instance, resistance to corrosion, a high strength to weight ratio, low conductivity for heat and electricity, waterproof qualities, durability and customisation make plastic an essential material in the world around us, from clothes and cars to preserving the food we eat. There are emerging signs that through approaching this problem with a circular economy lens, we have the opportunity to reconcile these factors. Instead of tinkering with isolated parts of the system, a holistic view could optimise plastic flows and enable us to use this material in an effective and positive manner.

Today’s use of plastics is coming up against known economic and environmental limits. On the economic side, value lost in the wastage of plastics is chronically high. As documented in a 2014 study from UNEP, with the majority of plastic packaging material value lost after first use, the estimated natural capital cost (based on a range of environmental impacts including those on oceans and the loss of valuable resources) is US$75 bn per year, for the consumer goods sector alone. With the current slump in oil prices, this might not be a direct cause for concern for many businesses. However, considering that prices are liable to volatility, and have a history of eluding analysts’ best predictions, wastage of this magnitude makes little sense. Moreover, consumer pull and regulatory factors could put pressure on players in the plastics supply chain regardless of price fluctuations.

It follows that the loss of this material leads to the extraction of fossil feedstocks in order to produce more virgin plastic. With the continual need to reduce emissions related to climate change, this single-use approach to many plastic products undermines global efforts to lower emissions.

The impact of this plastic leakage on ocean ecosystems has also become more well-understood in recent years. Research by the Five Gyres Foundation described a ‘plastic smog’ covering the surface of oceans around the world, and slowly collecting in more densely-polluted clouds, or gyres. Together, these tiny fragments could amount to approximately 300,000 tonnes, with researchers estimating that significantly greater volumes of heavier plastic could be found below surface level. Beyond the aesthetic impacts, we are beginning to see the real cost of this lack of management of these externalities, with shreds of plastic consumed by fish and other marine life, damage to fisheries, impact on tourism and cleanup operations, all amounting to at least US$13bn, according to UNEP.

Fortunately, growing awareness of these issues has inspired some pioneers and industry leaders to explore alternative processes, innovations and investments. There are signs of progress that could lead to a future in which plastic is used, recovered and re-used far more effectively than today.

Improvements have been made in the recycling process, with new technologies enabling better separation and sorting techniques, producing higher quality recycled output and increasing appeal and viability for customers. One barrier to scaling up recycling operations has been the ability to establish pure, high-quality material flows. With the latest laser technology, recycling facilities such as the recent QRS materials recycling facility (MRF) in Baltimore are able to sort and reprocess a wider variety of plastics, therefore “making it more economical for cities and MRFs to sell a wide range of plastics back into the market”.

Despite these advancements, pursuing better recycling alone is not the answer, as this route still results in a loss of product and material integrity. Greater value can be retained in the ‘tighter loops’ of a circular economy. A range of startups are thinking this way, demonstrating how reusable packaging is achievable even for fast-moving consumer goods. Splosh, a manufacturer of cleaning products based in the UK, are known for their innovative business model that encourages the continual re-use of durable plastic packaging. The decision to provide dissolvable concentrated cleaning fluid refills has the potential to save up to 95% of plastic packaging. Replenish has taken a similar approach, with a solution currently available on the market that combines a pod of concentrated fluid with a refillable bottle, the use of which can reduce plastic, energy and pollution by 80-90% compared with the traditional disposable alternative

Compostable packaging has not become widespread enough to be economically appealing at scale, but Israeli-based Tipa are one of a number of companies that has developed a flexible packaging that can be safely biodegraded. Designers applied a biomimetic approach, asking themselves “what if we could create a package that is exactly like an orange peel?”. After achieving this functionality in their range of products, the missing piece of the puzzle is collaboration; developing the infrastructure to enable biodegradable materials to have a meaningful impact regenerating natural capital.

Various other efforts from both startups and incumbents attempt to increase the proportion of plastics coming from fossil feedstocks. Veolia have worked with subsidiary Anoxkaldnes to develop a plastic derived from wastewater streams in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Denmark. This bio-based and biodegradable polymer, called PHA, has similar properties to polypropylene, which is found in packaging, carpets, stationery and other everyday products. DSM are also diversifying the inputs of their supply chain, with performance materials such as EcoPaXX and Arnitel Eco.

This spells good news for companies dependent on plastic. Although toy giant Lego built their business on oil-based plastic blocks, in July 2015 the company pledged to move away from materials such as ABS by the year 2030. The ambition is to invest in bio-based polymers for the manufacture of the 60 billion blocks that Lego produce each year.

Various efforts are also being made to use an abundant but perhaps more unusual feedstock: air pollution. NatureWorks have a four-stage plan for feedstock diversification, and after a decade of research Newlight Technologies developed AirCarbon, a high-performing polymer made from air and methane-based greenhouse gases. At scale, this technology could help contribute to emissions reduction targets, but don’t think this progress happens through good will alone – Newlight say the material can “match the performance of oil-based plastics and out-compete on price”.

One challenge facing any new type of polymer released in the economy is the existing system that awaits. Without wider support, these new plastics may be without proper reprocessing infrastucture, and could even contaminate established material streams.

Even more ambitious innovations are also underway, such as a self-healing plastics inspired by squid teeth and the human body, edible packaging, and the fast-moving area of 3D-printing.

Whilst it is natural to feel buoyed by these anecdotes of progress, it is important to remember that they are often emerging in isolation, distinct from the context of a plastics system that is primarily based on oil inputs and operates on a rapid take, make dispose model. In some cases, it is difficult to identify whether an innovation is suitable and therefore beneficial for the system as a whole. What’s needed is a truly collaborative approach, involving key stakeholders from entire plastics value chain, from design, manufacture, retail, collection, reuse and recycling. This new approach would enable us to move beyond incremental innovation towards a systemic shift in the plastics economy.

Project MainStream, an initiative from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, McKinsey and Company and the World Economic Forum, will report on recent work relating to this topic at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, 20-23 January 2016

Lead image: Ars Electronica / Flickr CC BY-NC-ND