Opponents galvanize against plastics

As Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing marks its 10th anniversary, the staff is looking back on the events and issues that shaped our coverage over our first decade. Read more of our 10 Trends for 10 Years here.

By Bruce Geiselman 

Nearly 10 years after a group of marine biologists in Costa Rica discovered a sea turtle injured by an item they identified as a plastic straw, a global anti-plastics movement has galvanized over concerns over pollution. The backlash has led to discussion of banning certain products, or finding ways to recover the costs of proper disposal from the plastics industry.  

One of the developments that sparked a public outcry for eliminating plastics pollution, particularly plastic straw pollution, occurred in 2015 when a group of marine biologists in Costa Rica discovered a sea turtle plastic straw lodged in its nostril. In a graphic video, the researchers recorded the bloody removal of the object lodged in the turtle’s nostril, but public pressure over improperly disposed of plastics continues to reverberate. 

The anti-plastic-straw movement seemed to catch fire after the video went viral.  

Bowing to public pressure, many restaurants eliminated plastic straws. One of the largest was coffeehouse Starbucks, which in 2018 announced it would eliminate plastic straws globally by 2020.  

Straws aren’t the only plastics pollution that threatens sea turtles and other wildlife. According to the World Wildlife Fund, 52% of the world’s turtles have eaten plastic waste, including plastic bags, which can look like jellyfish.  

Opponents of plastics say they are increasingly escaping into the environment. Every year, 23-25 tons of plastic waste enters lakes, rivers and seas, according to the United Nations Environment Programme. For example, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the overall plastics recycling rate is around 9 percent.   

In response, many restaurants have eliminated plastic straws, and retailers have begun eliminating plastic shopping bags. ALDI removed all plastic shopping bags by the end of 2023. Giant Eagle, a grocery chain operating in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Ohio, and Maryland, plans to eliminate single-use plastic bags from its operations and has already done so in several markets. 

In September, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation banning plastic bags at grocery store checkouts — a step beyond a 10-year-old law that had stopped short of a full ban by allowing stores to sell thicker plastic carryout bags that were considered reusable. They rarely were reused or recycled, according to state Sen. Catherine Blakespear. California’s action comes after New York banned single-use bags in 2020.  

Meanwhile, some states have considered extended producer responsibility bills.  

However, the Plastics Industry Association has touted recycling and its efforts to protect waterways, with programs such as Operation Clean Sweep. 

It opposes efforts to ban single-use plastics, saying they became an alternative to the paper bag in 1965 because they are durable, lightweight, low cost, and save trees. PLASTICS favors increased recycling, including advanced recycling, of single-use plastic bags into “like new virgin resin,” according to a 2021 statement on the association’s website. 

The United Nations has been holding negotiations on a potential treaty to address plastics pollution, but the latest round of talks ended Dec. 1 with no conclusions.