DENISE KIRBY Do we really need to have a “Plastic Free July”? by Denise Kirby With initiatives like the recent Plastic Free July, plastics are once again thrust into the spotlight. We are continuously reminded by media and advertising of the insidious presence of plastic in our environment. The word “plastic” has almost become synonymous with waste and pollution. We see images of piles of rubbish building up on land and in the ocean, marine life entangled in the plastic litter, and microplastics entering every level of the eco-system, most concerningly in the food chain. As public awareness of plastics has grown, there is an increasing backlash against plastic. Plastic use in certain sectors is becoming governed by regulations, and businesses and brands are embracing initiatives to reduce or eliminate plastic consumption in order to appeal to their target audience and the demands of consumers. As an industry, we are significant users of plastic, and while the plastics we use do not cause the same environmental impacts as single- use plastics; you won’t see a turtle wrapped in vinyl, say, or a vast garbage patch of signboards swirling around in the Pacific Ocean; it would be naïve of us to think that the current mindset around plastic won’t impact us. There is already a shift happening, and it 26 WINTER 2022 is particularly noticeable in retail. Brands are adopting more sustainable practices across their business, which extends to how they promote products in-store. It makes sense that if brands are promoting sustainable merchandise or initiatives, they will want to communicate the campaigns in a sustainable way. As such, there is an increasing demand for more environmentally friendly materials for print and POS and plastic isn’t always considered one of them. This is where we need to step in as an industry and front foot the demand for sustainable solutions by engaging and educating our customers to ensure they choose sustainable and commercially viable solutions. If we don’t, we risk customers making material decisions based on a limited understanding of our substrates and processes and perhaps moving to other materials or technologies like digital screens because they think these are less impactful on the environment. With plastic, it is very much a case of “don’t judge a book by its cover”. Plastic isn’t all one thing. There are seven different types of plastic, each with different attributes and varying impacts on the environment. Rather than Photo Credit: Emily Bernal (Unsplash) There is some nuance to the conversation around plastic and waste. Let’s explore: considering abandoning plastic as a whole, it makes more sense to look at the type of plastic required for the project and the whole life cycle of the material to determine its true environmental impact. themselves A good example is solar window films for residential or commercial spaces. These films are plastic and are not recyclable at the end of life. Still, during their service life (10+ years), they significantly reduce energy costs and CO2 emissions by better regulating internal temperatures, so less heating and air- conditioning are required. They contribute far more positively to the environment during use in relation to the waste they generate end of life. Alternatives to plastic aren’t always greener or more sustainable either. A good example is the paper vs plastic debate. If you were to ask someone, “What is more sustainable, paper or plastic?” The answer would probably be paper. Why? It comes from trees, a renewable resource, it is easily recyclable and biodegradable. On the surface, paper wins. Plastic is made from fossil fuels, a non-renewable resource, in reality, only about 4% of all fossil fuel goes towards plastic production. While paper isn’t made from fossil fuels, fossil fuels are used in paper production.
