Sustainable packaging and global plastic pollution

Indonesia—Since their invention in the early 20th century, plastics have been omnipresent in our daily life, and have become a global choice due to their durability, flexibility, and low production cost. Industries ranging from food to electronics have been relying for decades on plastics, their primary material for product packaging. Plastic serves as protection, marketing and information tool, and a convenient way to transport products. For optimal performance, plastic is often combined with other materials, making it difficult to recycle.

Despite the ample benefits, plastic’s versatility may pose risks to health and the environment. Since the 1950s, plastic consumption has surged, reaching 400.3 million tons in global production in 2022 alone, much of them for single-use packaging to preserve food and protect fragile items.

But environmental alarms are sounding. Researcher Hannah Ritchie and colleagues estimate that 0.5 percent of plastics end up in the ocean, harming marine ecosystems. Traces of plastic also pollute mountains, forests, and waterways.

To deal with the problem, businesses and governments have been showing a stronger commitment. The fifth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) on Plastic Pollution from Nov. 25 to Dec. 1 in Busan, South Korea, was meant to draft an international legally binding instrument to tackle the plastic pollution problem.

The momentum is building as over 260 businesses, from multinationals to local enterprises, have joined the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty (BCGPT), urging governments at INC-5 to adopt an ambitious, full-lifecycle plastics treaty. This collective effort also aims to foster awareness, innovation, and a sustainable ecosystem with the prospect of global regulations under a treaty.

Industry has also been exploring solutions like optimizing and harmonizing packaging (Reduce), reusable packaging, and design for recycling. It has also been increasing recycled content along with developing bioplastics and paper-based options to reduce virgin plastic use. These innovations require comprehensive life cycle assessments and suitable waste management for bio-based plastics to ensure sustainable impact.

As well, food and beverage packaging must meet strict safety and compliance standards to protect consumers. Key guidelines include Food and Drug Monitoring Agency Regulation No. 20/2019, and international standards like those from the United States Food and Drug Administration, the European Medicines Agency, and the European Food Safety Authority, detailing permitted, limited, and banned substances. Additionally, packaging should be environmentally safe, functional, competitively priced, and of high quality.

Leading producers of fast-moving consumer goods have also optimized packaging size, increased recycled content and used easier-to-recycle materials. They’ve introduced reusable designs and innovations as well, like paper straws.

But are these alternatives enough to address the plastic crisis?

Recycling is important, but not enough. In fact, less than 10 percent of plastic waste is currently recycled globally. The remaining waste often ends up being incinerated in landfills.

Then there’s the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program, which requires companies to manage their products’ end-of-life, which is now gaining traction, especially in developed countries with advanced waste management. However, for EPR to be effective globally, stronger waste management systems are essential, particularly in developing countries where they remain inadequate and poorly managed, leading to high rates of plastic leakage into rivers and oceans.

I’d strongly suggest maximizing our efforts for waste collection, waste segregation, and building the infrastructure to process related waste. We must ensure greater quantity and better quality feedstock for secondary raw materials to increase the recycling rate and recycled content. For packaging, we can work on nonfood contact material if the food contact material is not yet available.

We also need stricter but more conducive regulations to prevent plastic leakage and to promote and encourage the use of sustainable materials, given the higher costs incurred when industry switches to easy-to-recycle materials or to recycled-content materials. Waste management systems should not create new problems, such as improper disposal of hazardous byproducts.

The plastic crisis requires multiple solutions. Global rules can unify multi-stakeholder efforts to phase out problematic plastics, but consumer behavior change is also essential. Now is the time to advocate for stronger regulations, better waste management, and a collective shift in consumption and production. Plastics were considered a “miracle” when they were first introduced for packaging. They now pose challenges and are perceived as a symbol of unsustainability.

It is time to rethink our relationship with plastics for the sake of the planet. The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network

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Putut Pramono is the education and sustainability director of Indonesian Packaging Federation.

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The Philippine Daily Inquirer is a member of the Asia News Network, an alliance of 22 media titles in the region.