Why Do We Need A Circular Economy for Plastics? | Summit 2020

The Foundation’s perspective on the Breaking The Plastic Wave study.

Breaking the Plastic Wave, one of the most comprehensive and analytically robust studies ever produced on ocean plastics, was released in July 2020 by The Pew Charitable Trusts and SYSTEMIQ, with thought partners the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, University of Oxford, University of Leeds, and Common Seas.

The Foundation published its perspective and set out clear urgent actions in response to the study’s findings. Breaking the Plastic Wave confirms that the circular economy vision is the only way to address plastic waste and pollution at the source, while also resulting in better economic, climate, and social outcomes. It shows that to realise this vision, we need to collectively raise our ambition level, and stresses the need to act now, as an implementation delay of five years will result in an additional 80 million tonnes of plastic entering our oceans between now and 2040.

Please join our speakers to learn more about Breaking the Plastic Wave and how a circular economy offers a solution to address plastic pollution at source.
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Thank you for watching this video. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is a UK charity working on business, learning, insights & analysis, and communications to accelerate the transition towards the circular economy.

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[TheaDragonSpirit]

Plastic works by stopping air getting inside.

So there is also using reusable boxes. What this would mean is say you create standard box sizes, you then select a size box you need for your product, then when people have finished with the box they put it in a box storage bin, this then gets taken to a centre which cleans the bins, and companies instead of getting plastic delivered simply go to a distribution centre for the box size they need. Any boxes that get damaged are replaced, larger companies give an estimate of what they need locally and then collect it from the centre, they either pay government to run this, or any company using a lot of boxes pay to use the boxes. This would mean instead of packing stuff in single use plastic they use a box for what they need. I'm not sure how plausible this is. But it's an idea I had a long time ago.

Has seaweed been considered instead of thin plastic? Maybe this would be a simpler solution.

[interiorswthv]

Where can I find the report they are mentioning?

[changeplasticforgood]

In one year, everyone will be talking about Change Plastic for Good and BDP technology. Without a sound biochemistry solution added to all the other great work here, we won’t see the impact lessened on a global scale.

[Leeeedsfest]

Did I hear correctly? Alternatives to plastic production produces higher GHG?

[eleonorapasazhova]

You speak like your personal actions don't have value. I'm in the role of consumer /most powerful role, according studies if the Japanese market, to INFLUENCE a market/. What I do is I bring my own bags from pasta to the grocery stores when I buy potatoes. I buy in bulk, using the containers and bags I already have. I use only cloth bags when I am not in a unusual situation and I can be prepared. I choose to buy shoes that are made of natural materials, and not plastic, that are more expensive but I feel guilt-free buying and using them. Si far they have lasted me a long time, thus in reality they will prove to pay off the value I invested to buy them. When I think about takeout, I use my brain to try and plan my day strategically, so I know I will need a container for takeout, and I bring that with me to the store/shop/restaurant/etc. I am kind and ask the employees if the place if I could use my personal container, to which most often they don't mind, since I'm paying them for the food I buy anyways. I try to not buy plastic, but until I'm waiting for big players to get responsible and supermarkets eliminate products with plastic packaging, replacing it with biodegradable plastic like cassava-made Avani, for example, I use my social media accounts strategically to tag local chains and brands directly asking them to become more sustainable and praising them whenever as a consumer I see their efforts to reducing their carbon footprint emissions and their uses of plastics. I comment on them directly, as a consumer. Since I want from them direct results. Policies are made by people. And it needs to be understood each consumer /in Japan called 'life-designer'/ has much power to invest in the stuff and practices they approve of, while refraining from buying if the packagings or anything in the attitude of the employees if the store does not fit to their personal criteria. We are supposed to not let 'small things' pass, such as the employees hair in my rice, for example, out if courtesy because we are shy for them to not lose their job. We, as consumers, are the center of the entire economy, since the economy SERVES US.