Issue
motion , albeit slow . In showing that transitioning to a zero carbon energy system has the potential to reduce emissions from plastic by 51 per cent , the study provides yet another reason to rapidly phase out fossil fuels . However , beyond urgently required global decarbonisation , we need to reduce our seemingly insatiable demand for carbonbased plastic . Increasing recycling rates is one simple way of doing this .
The highest-quality plastics can be recycled many times , and nearly all plastic can be recycled to some extent — but only 18 per cent was actually recycled worldwide in 2015 . Although each recycle process requires a small amount of new plastic , we can greatly increase the life cycle of the material by efficiently reusing what we make . But the dismal global recycling statistics do make us wonder whether we will ever efficiently adopt 100 per cent recycling of plastics . To counter
32 Legacy India | June 2019
Governments , corporations , and individuals must make research into alternatives a priority and support their use to needless plastic waste . Of course , any of these solutions alone will not be enough but if we manage to do all of this , then we can cut plastics emissions to just seven per cent of current levels .
this , a more fundamental solution is to switch to making plastics from biodegradable sources such as wood , corn starch and sugarcane .
The materials themselves are carbon neutral , although renewable power is essential to eliminate the climate impact of energy costs during production , transport and waste processing . However , a massive ramping up in the production of bioplastics — which currently make up less than one per cent of total plastic production — would require vast swathes of agricultural land . With the population set to rise dramatically , increasingly coveted arable space may not be able to satisfy demand . The bottom line , therefore , is that we will need to reduce our demand for plastic . According to the study , simply reducing the annual growth in plastics demand from four per cent to two per cent could result in 60 per cent lower emissions from the sector in 2050 .
While a life without plastics may seem unimaginable , it ’ s worth remembering that their prevalence is a relatively recent phenomenon . The first artificial plastic , Bakelite , was developed in 1907 , but it wasn ’ t until the 1950s that the age of plastic began . If we show a genuine appetite to address plastic pollution , the world could change again just as quickly and so will the environment — for the better .
Governments , corporations , and individuals must make research into alternatives a priority and support their use to needless plastic waste . Of course , any of these solutions alone will not be enough but if we manage to do all of this , then we can cut plastics emissions to just seven per cent of current levels . � www . legacyindia . in