PLASTIC IS


NOW ON THE MENU


Mark Jankovich, CEO of Delphis Eco, tells us


about how the hygiene and cleaning sector can be improved by 100% post consumer recycled (PCR) plastic.


When HRH The Prince of Wales said ‘Plastic is on the menu and we must act now’, he was visibly distressed as he talked of the plastic waste that is being dumped into our oceans and the associated damage to our environment in a headline speech to delegates at the Ocean Rescue Conference in Malta.


His speech was timely as in the same month Delphis Eco launched what is believed to be a world first with its 100% PCR packaging – packaging which the Ellen McArthur Foundation is calling to become standard by 2025.


Right now, if we look at what the Ellen McArthur Foundation is saying, we are eight years ahead of big corporates in the use of 100% post-consumer recycled waste in packaging, but I’m the first to say that this needs to change fast and the corporates, and government, need to encourage everybody to use it.


Plastic is big input and we care about every element, so for five years we have been struggling to find UK recycled plastic which we could use at 100% in our packaging, which was also food grade quality.


The fact that HRH was on stage giving a headline address on this key issue simply emphasises the importance of recycling and how plastics are repurposed. How we close the loop and give a second life to single life plastic needs to become mainstream for cleaning operators, wholesalers and consumers.


A recent study by the Ellen McArthur Foundation predicted that by the year 2050, our oceans will be awash with more plastic than fish. For those that don’t know the stats, over 8m tonnes of plastic are dumped in the oceans each year, where it takes 450 years plus to biodegrade. Only 5% to 7% of virgin plastic is recycled, which means that at least 93% goes to landfill, gets burned or ends up in the sea. Evidently our ‘recycled’ waste isn’t actually being recycled.


So, what needs to happen to change purchasing attitudes? Plastic is very necessary, but we all need to get better or look for closed loop solutions.


If we take the hygiene and cleaning sector, which is renowned for toxicity of chemicals and excessive use of plastic – we know that there is some great work being done here to progress sustainable practice.


18 | SUSTAINABILITY SUPPLEMENT


Yet despite the accelerating level of single life plastic going to waste and the cry for more recycling, the uncomfortable truth is that nowhere near enough is being done and what is being done is not happening nearly fast enough to save our environment, which is becoming more toxic every minute, every day.


That is why it is now more important than ever for us all to challenge suppliers, manufacturers, facilities managers, consultants and government to show willing, if not demand – even through legislative purpose if necessary – that more plastic is recycled and repurposed. As a user of plastics and chemicals, the hygiene and cleaning sector has a pivotal role to play.


We need the recycling issue to come much higher on the legislative agenda.


Big business is constantly looking for innovation and this is a superb example. Global warming and associated climate change does not have unilateral support, current legislation is not focused on the environment, and the UK has been way behind many of its European counterparts when it comes to issues of recycling and how we efficiently dispose of waste.


Right now corporations and governments are behind the curve. The issue needs to be embedded high on their agendas to realise that consumers want recycled or up- cycled plastics, and to drive a shift in the manufacturing approach to ensure a closed loop supply cycle. And cleaning operators need to be calling on their suppliers to act now to make a difference and reduce the damage that is being done, before it becomes irreversible.


SECOND LIFE A five year journey working with specialist waste collectors to recycle used high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic


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