United Nations Environment Assembly Should Support Bioplastics

Earlier this year, delegates from 175 countries endorsed a historic resolution to end plastic pollution during the fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA). This was an important step in dealing with the dire consequences of the world’s growing plastic waste crisis.

Now, policymakers are meeting again in Portugal for the United Nations Ocean Conference where the danger is overreach. Blanket bans, while satisfying in the short run, can unintentionally limit innovation, which is needed to tackle global pollution.

Petrochemical-based plastic manufacturing has grown exponentially from 2 million tons in 1950 to 348 million tons in 2017. Far too much of this material escapes into the environment. PEW Charitable Trusts estimates that 11 million tons of plastic waste enter the ocean every year, and without immediate action, that amount will rise to 29 million tons by 2040. Petrochemical plastic that escapes into the ocean can take centuries to degrade, resulting in extensive damage to the environment, aquatic life, and human health. That is why the UNEA’s recent resolution is so important and why new approaches are needed.

The UN resolution established an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to complete a global treaty by 2024 to reduce plastics manufacturing and prioritize sustainability at every stage of the material’s lifecycle, from design and production to disposal. The resolution’s supporters have suggested this will help the transition to a circular economy, which emphasizes a shift away from the manufacture of single-use applications — such as cups, straws, cutlery, and various packaging — towards greater adoption of reusable products and recycling.

This is an admirable goal. But the UNEA’s treaty should consider recent developments in biodegradable alternatives to traditional plastic that can support a circular economy without discarding single-use products.

UNEA must ensure that its efforts do not undo decades of progress that have been made in developing biodegradable alternatives. Over the last several years, companies in the food and beverage industry have made significant progress in redesigning straws, cutlery, and packaging to minimize their environmental impact. One promising material is polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), a polyester that is biosynthesized by a bacterium fed with oils derived from the seeds of plants such as canola or soy. Unlike traditional plastic, which can take centuries to degrade, PHA, which can be used in a multitude of food packaging products, is able to degrade within a matter of months. 

Multinational companies have invested in adding materials such as PHA to their operations as an alternative to plastic. PepsiCo is designing snack food packaging using PHA. Mars Wrigley is developing compostable packaging with the material.

Investing in biodegradable materials such as PHA is essential because it complements other initiatives to end plastic waste, particularly recycling. The Environmental Protection Agency reported that the U.S. generated 34.5 million tons of plastic waste in 2015, yet only 3.14 million tons were recycled, a mere 9.1 percent.

Respected organizations such as the Ellen MacArthur Foundation continue to advocate for such a collaborative approach. On March 31, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation published a report identifying 21 actions that businesses, policymakers and other organizations should take to support a circular economy by 2025. Like the UNEA’s recent resolution, the report calls for innovating away from single-use packaging.

Bioplastics can help ensure that single-use items, which cannot be eliminated, will reliably degrade in industrial composting facilities, home compost units, or, in a worst-case scenario, soil and marine environments. As the UNEA takes action to fight the global plastic waste crisis, member nations should use every tool at their disposal, particularly materials such as PHA. The right combination of recycling, bioplastics, consumer education, and industry collaboration will be an effective solution to eliminating this crisis.

Stephen E. Croskrey is the chief executive officer of Danimer Scientific, a leading bioplastics company focused on the development and production of biodegradable materials.