0 Have your say AS a Yorkshireman, putting it bluntly comes as a virtual birthright, so here goes – plastic packaging is currently vying with a couple of world leaders, and one or two rogue states, for the public enemy top spot. Its reputation is in tatters. And it’s easy to understand why. We all agree that those images from Blue Planet that really brought the issue to widespread publication attention were disgraceful, and reflected horrendously on the industry I’ve worked in for more years than I care to remember. But one very important thing has been overlooked in the outcry that’s followed – plastic packaging does not grow legs and walk into the oceans of the world on its own. The reason why plastic waste ends up where it does is because people dump it there. And all the different companies and governments promising reductions, even bans, on the use of different plastic products isn’t going to stop that. In fact, call me a cynic, but I’m convinced the PR mileage which retailers and various other companies get from jumping on the ‘we’ll stop using this, that or the next thing in the next five, 10, maybe 15 years’ bandwagon is the driving force behind them doing it; as opposed to any real desire to complicate their operations and potentially reduce profits by coming up with a non-plastic alternative to whatever they are promising to phase out. I realise it’s very easy to make that kind of statement, but… [Read full story]
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