Plastic labelling needs ‘sustainability scale’ to help consumers

Researchers want a ‘drastic overhaul’ in packaging to better inform the public of the true environmental costs of products. 

A new paper produced by a team at the University of Exeter, University of Bath, and the University of Queensland has proposed the development of a new, internationally-applicable labelling system for plastics, which will focus on sustainability rather than recyclability. 

Those behind the work believe current labels and packaging offer little help to consumers who want to make greener purchasing decisions, because the information lacks real detail. Factors like the process of production, and resulting environmental cost, and health risks of additives are notably absent, among others. Making people aware of how packaging fits with local and regional recycling infrastructure should also be considered.

‘We need to empower consumers to make more sustainable choices,’ said the paper’s first author, Stephen Burrows, whose research was funded by QUEX Institute, a partnership between Exeter and Queensland universities. ‘Requiring packaging to carry region-specific directions for disposal would shift responsibility away from consumers and towards regulators and plastic producers.

‘This is vital because the mix of plastic products is so complex and confusing, industry must be responsible for clear, accurate and accessible instructions on how best to dispose of plastic items,’ he continued. ‘The same is true for the chemical additives found in many plastics. These chemicals are added to plastics to give them certain properties such as colour, flexibility and fire resistance. Requiring producers to list all additives would be a major step towards informing the public and helping them make decisions regarding environmental impact and human health.’

Estimates suggest around 368million tonnes of plastic is produced globally each year, and recycling levels vary wildly across the world. Germany, for example, claims 62% of plastic waste is recycled, more than double the European average of 30%. Meanwhile, China’s figure sits at 25%, with the US lagging behind at just 8%. 

In related news, last month Germany’s Alfred Wegener Institute released an investigation into plastic pollution, revealing that even if no more plastic is allowed to enter the sea, microplastic pollution will continue to rise for decades. 

Image credit: Tanvi Sharma