Smart solutions are key to the plastic waste problem

With plastic pollution exceeding 380 million tonnes annually and 40% of this being attributed to single use products, manufacturers, brand owners, and retailers are under increasing pressure to address their environmental impact. Some 91% of plastic waste globally remains unrecycled, with most ending up in landfills or the ocean and devastatingly impacting wildlife and ecosystems. 

Additionally, as global plastic pollution is forecast to double by 2040, addressing the single use plastic problem is paramount, now in 2025, before it is too late. 

Reduce, re-use, and recycle is not solving the problem. Michael Laurier, CEO of environmental technology leader Symphony Environmental, argues that d2w masterbatch technology is essential if we are going to sort this out. He draws attention to the flexibility provided by its degradation timers and the fact that it costs little or no more than ordinary plastic and can be made with existing equipment.

‘d2w is suitable for a wide range of plastic products, including single use carrier bags and packaging films,’ he said, ‘and the aim is to reduce plastic waste accumulation in the open environment without sacrificing product quality. By adjusting the formulation of the masterbatch, Symphony can vary the shelf and service life of the product as required.

‘When the plastic product reaches the end of its service life it will biodegrade if it has been discarded into the open environment. The d2w dismantles the molecular chains, within the polymer, and converts it into a material which is no longer a plastic. However, if it is collected during its service life it can still be recycled without separation.’

Michael concluded, ‘This small step at the manufacturing stage would have an enormous impact on plastic waste. It is now urgent that plastics manufacturers and their customers take this step before the damage to the environment is too massive to reverse.’