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Ground-Breaking ways to Recycle and Reduce Plastic as a Business and Save Energy 

Ground-Breaking ways to Recycle and Reduce Plastic Waste
Reduce Plastic Waste

Plastic was one of the most innovative elements of industrialisation, and it made synthetic plastic imitate natural materials and products to make manufacturing easier. Packing foods in plastic, creating products of daily use and saving money was incredibly beneficial for companies and customers, so plastic production increased considerably.

However, plastic production reached 400 million metric tonnes per year globally, of which waste generation is significantly higher compared to how much is recycled. Unfortunately, even in highly developed countries like the United Kingdom, plastic recycling is not done correctly, as local authorities don’t collect all types of plastic products. The limited capacity to recycle leads to exporting massive amounts of plastic, which is damaging to the environment.

Besides that, waste management costs tend to be expensive, especially for companies that handle manufacturing, processing, or developing products. Hence, the solution to lower costs and be more environmentally friendly is to recycle, so we gathered a few impressive ideas on how to do it.

Approaching the Circular Economy Model 

The circular economy concept is a demanded system based on minimising waste and reusing resources that can impact a company’s environmental impact. Therefore, reducing, reusing, and recycling are prominent features of the circular model that businesses can adopt.

For example, if you deal with significant amounts of plastic after finishing a project, you could use it in a structural foam moulding initiative, which is a sustainable way of reusing plastic materials so you can prevent the plastic from ending up in landfills. You can transform plastic into furniture, bottles for drinks and even polyester fabrics, so depending on the most accessible recycling method, anything can be turned into something new from plastic waste.

However, if you’d like to delve into a more complex project, gathering a team to achieve all the steps of creating a plastic product line is essential. Going through phases of product development, production, and logistics can be challenging, but professionals from companies like hsv-tmp offer systematic support in obtaining successful products.

Innovating Packaging Models 

The problem with packaging is that it generates a lot of waste―at least 16 million tonnes in the EU. However, an interesting trend has been noticed throughout time. Since plastic packaging became considerably damaging, most companies turned to paper and cardboard packaging as the most approachable method of lowering plastic waste. Unfortunately, paper and cardboard are the biggest waste generators now. So, what’s the best solution, after all?

Luckily, innovative and creative businesses developed and tested several ways to make packaging sustainable and durable. Some of the best ideas so far include the following:

  • Plant-based alternatives, such as mushrooms, are an excellent polystyrene substitute;
  • Plastic waste from the ocean has been turned into bottles for cleaning products;
  • Plantable packaging allows customers to grow a plant from the fibre used;
  • Some garment bags can be dissolved in water and consumed;
  • Companies allow clients to refill their makeup products instead of buying new products;

Understanding What Zero Waste Actually Means 

The concept of zero waste has become popular on social media lately, especially since greenfluencers are the main source of inspiration for many consumers. Reaching zero-waste purposes as a company requires a spectrum of ideas and actions because all businesses operate differently.

The circular economy model includes zero-waste policies that prevent waste by using a product up to its optimum consumption level. A few European countries have employed zero-waste jurisdictions, while the US is the most advanced in terms of zero-waste laws. Zero-waste laws can also be found in countries like Japan, Brazil, and Canada.

The easiest way to be zero-waste as a company is to approach the hierarchy idea that considers the best, most and least used materials in the recycling and repurposing processes. Individuals and companies can use this strategy and adapt to specific needs, but it contains the following ranking:

  • Rethinking and redesigning products
  • Reducing
  • Reusing
  • Recycling or composting
  • Recovering materials
  • Managing residuals
  • Waste-To-energy

Nurturing Technology Towards Sustainability 

Technology can be on our side when it comes to employing better ways of using materials and helping the environment heal, which is why we must leverage it to the maximum. Many startups and businesses started a green plan involving high-tech resources that made them prominent examples on the market.

For example, genetic modification is possible for natural fibres to become an alternative to petroleum-based plastics. This method alters the properties of hemp or flax and makes them useful for farmers in terms of income and function as plastic.

Repurposing existing technologies is also innovative, as a Greek company proved, in capturing plastic. The business uses mesh barriers at river mouths that capture and redirect plastic to a floating cage, which hinders its possibility of entering the ocean.

By far, one of the best technological advancements leveraged to minimise pollution is nanotechnology, through which products are coated into a thin and practical material that allows perishable foods to last. Nanotechnology also creates lightweight steel and aluminium that can work better than plastics.

How can Citizens Contribute to Handling Plastic Waste? 

While companies should be held accountable for their input of plastic in products, the end user can promote less plastic usage by making a choice. For example, reusing the same plastic bag instead of buying another one each time they go shopping or learning how to recycle appropriately are considerably important towards reaching a zero-net global condition. Hence, education is still a prominent method of lowering plastic use because it makes people aware of their impact on the planet. Besides producing less, consuming less should be normalised because the consumerist age has indeed affected the world we live in.

How does your Company Handle Plastic Waste?

Plastic waste is one of the most damaging to nature because it can take anywhere from 20 to 500 years for it to break down into the ground. Human life, wildlife and ecosystems are heavily affected by plastic waste, so companies need to develop new methods that use less plastic in packaging and manufacturing.

What do you think?

Written by Zane Michalle

Zane is a Viral Content Creator at UK Journal. She was previously working for Net worth and was a photojournalist at Mee Miya Productions.

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