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Europe’s actions against plastic pollution may see delays due to economic setbacks

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Europe’s actions against plastic pollution may see delays due to economic setbacks

 

By Patryk Krych | The World Daily | AUGUST 7th 2020

 

The European Union had taken a firmer stance against plastic pollution in the months leading up to the unforeseen coronavirus pandemic, but now, with the economic impacts brought on by the subsequent lockdown, some have doubts about whether the EU’s goals will still be achievable so soon.

Micronipol is a Portuguese-based plastic recycling company, primarily working in recycling the material most often used in the making of plastic bags and bottles, polyethylene. However, the future of the company is uncertain, due to the 40% drop in revenue that had occurred since the beginning of the pandemic threat and the initiation of lockdown.

The lockdown has affected the finances of everybody across the globe, forcing many to put their own familial and financial needs over the needs of the environment. Oftentimes, this means scrapping recycling goals, for a period of time. As such, non-recyclable plastics made from hydrocarbons have seen a rise in purchase, due to their cheaper prices, while the recycled/recyclable products end up piling up in overstocked amounts at the Micronipol warehouses.

“If we are no longer competitive and if we lose cash we have two options: either someone has to subsidise us so we can keep working or we have to shut down,” said Carlos Bento, an administrator for Micronipol.

These cheaper, non-recyclable plastics -or virgin plastics- have become even cheaper yet, since the beginning of the global lockdowns. This is partially due to the demands for oil dropping to historical lows, bringing many other prices down along with it.

European plastic recycling companies may find themselves in some measure of danger even after the lockdowns are over and the pandemic threat is behind us, due to these lowered prices, as well as possible changes in habit from the general public.

“Without well-functioning and profitable plastics recycling there is no alternative, no environmentally sound option for plastic waste management,” said Antonino Furfari, the managing director of the Industry group ‘Plastic Recyclers Europe’ (PRE). “This waste will be incinerated or dumped.”

PRE had announced that the majority of the plastic recycling companies working withing the European Union have either reported severe drops in both production and sales, or had altogether announced a complete closure of their facilities for the foreseeable months.

A wide range of single-use plastics were set to be banned in the EU, by the year 2021. This plan may yet be put to the test, as the usage of single-use plastics has gone up by the populous, particularly around restaurants, as a viral precaution. Portugal’s Environment Secretary of State Ines dos Santos Costa said the goals of her government, also revolving around cutting the usage and availability of single-use plastics, “still stands” for the most part. The present-time difficulties, however, cannot be neglected.

A Finnish member of the European Parliament, by the name of Sirpa Pietikainen, said that producing less overall waste is likely among the best and most approachable solutions to tackling the plastic pollution crisis.

“If you thought the coronavirus crisis was bad for the economy, climate change will be 100 times worse - and then you will not only talk about losing GDP points, you will talk about access to medication, water and food,” she said. “We really need to act now.”

On a yearly basis, Europe is known to produce somewhere around 26 million tonnes of plastic waste. Less than 30% of this waste ever ends up recycled, and the rest is left to rot and spread its toxins. Many scientists fear this may even contribute to the threat of climate change, through emission of greenhouse gasses. The future in this regard remains uncertain, but it will be up to everybody, not only the governments, to get back into the habit of recycling once the lockdowns end and the economies re-steady.

 

By Patryk Krych | © The World Daily 2020

 

 

Categories:
Environment
Tags:
EUEuropePlastic PollutionPollution