Most plastics used today are derived from petrochemicals, with the polymers coming from crude oil. These petrochemical based plastics are more commonly referred to as oil-based plastics[1]. Currently environmental and industry experts estimate that plastic production will increase 400% by the year 2050 [2]. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation published a report in 2016 raising concerns that by the same year the oceans will contain more plastic than fish [3]. Their report also noted the dire consequences our current plastic production has on natural resources, with plastics expected to consume 20% of all oil production within the next 30 years [3]. This is only if we continue to produce, use, and throw away plastic at the same rate we have the past 50 years. At the moment there has not been a significant decrease in the production of plastics, but awareness is on the rise as a global movement is slowly starting.

Let’s get our facts straight. Plastic has in the last 50 years or so become the number one material for a majority of goods we consume daily. It is durable, lightweight, and seals out oxygen, which makes it perfect for packaging. Furthermore, is also relatively cheap to produce. Plastics made from oil, are rich in carbon and a complex combination of thousands of other compounds. It needs to be processed heavily in order to be used [4].

There are reasons oil-based plastics have become the default for daily use and packaging. It doesn’t react chemically with other substances, which means plastic containers can hold lots of different contents, including alcohol, acid, and gasoline, without dissolving. The downside of it not reacting chemically with other substances: plastic doesn’t decay [5]. According to Plastic Oceans Foundation approximately half of the plastic production is used for single use products [6]. This is where the durability of plastic becomes a problem. The math is simple: a material made to last forever is not suitable to be used only once.

According to a recent article in The Guardian [7], only 5% of plastics are recycled effectively, hence a lot end up where they shouldn’t. Around 40% of plastics end up in landfills, and a third, an estimated eight million tons of plastic, end up in natural habitats such as the ocean [8]. Once in the ocean the plastic debris break down into particles known as micro plastics [3]. The micro plastics absorb and concentrate the toxic chemicals, these in turn end up in our bodies through the seafood we eat [2]. Also, the micro plastic cause severe damage to the ocean’s ecosystem, killing and impairing sea life [6].

40% of plastics end up in landfills, without effective recycling

A movement against oil-based plastic is starting to spread globally. Several initiatives alongside with bio-based alternatives are popping up regularly. The prime minister of India recently issued a ban against plastic, stating that the country will abolish single use plastic by 2022. Although the use of plastic per capita in India is lower than in other countries, for such a fast-growing economy this is a big step [9]. Another initiative is the UK Plastics Pact - a collaboration between businesses, governments, and NGO’s in order to tackle the issue of plastic waste by encouraging a circular economy for plastic use. Other countries are contributing by increasing the tax of plastic bags or banning them completely. As of May this year, 193 countries signed a UN resolution - part of their Clean Seas campaign – to form an Ocean conference, monitor and reduce plastic waste, and move to make dumping waste in the ocean illegal [10]. There is even a movement called Zero Waste that encourages people to eliminate their overall waste completely. As awareness of this crisis is rising, things are happening.