Widespread use of plastic

Sylvana Magro's letter about the widespread use of plastic is an eye-opener to us all. Yes, it is true that given today's lifestyle the use of plastic is widespread.

With this in mind, WasteServ is trying to educate the public to minimise the consumption of plastic and, where possible, use alternative reusable materials. Consumers are today encouraged to reuse carrier bags and seek new, convenient ways to do away with this option. Alternatively, consumers can opt for plastic reuseable crates, trolleys, cardboard boxes, cloth bags and similar containers.

Before the discussion ensued little did we realise how much our lives have become hooked on plastic bags and Ms Magro's letter helps underline this reality. No wonder the amount of bags used each year increased to a staggering 52 million.

Unfortunately, the complete removal of plastic is impossible as in most cases, such as packing of food and farming, alternatives are unavailable. Furthermore, when it comes to packaging, plastic is also hygienic and convenient.

The emphasis on plastic carrier bags or, as Ms Magro puts it, the discrimination against plastic carriers is that, once soiled, there is no available technology locally to recycle that bag. Unlike other plastic containers, such as bottles, which are also subject to eco-contribution and other stringent European legislation that is gradually being implemented locally, plastic bags have never been recovered from the waste stream and recycled, as is starting to be the case with most mineral water plastic bottles. From a more technical viewpoint, one must keep in mind that plastic bags occupy a lot of landfill space due to the air they trap and the degradable option helps lessen this problem.

The introduction of the eco-contribution on all kinds of plastic carriers was solely aimed at making the public more conscious of the use of plastic bags and where possible limit their usage. Similar fiscal measures which led to the reduction in the use of plastic bags have also been successfully introduced in a number of countries worldwide, such as Australia, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Rwanda, Kenya, South Africa and several countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.