More than ever, every one of us is aware of the damage single-use plastics have on our environment. And even though many brands are switching to biodegradable bags and packaging, single-use plastics are still a regular sight in our shops and supermarkets.
In fact, a recent study carried out by the London School of Economics found that only twenty companies are responsible for producing just over half (55%) of all the world’s single-use plastic waste.
Australia’s Minderoo Foundation and a consortium including the Stockholm Environment Institute, LSE, Wood Mackenzie and market researchers back up the London School’s research with their own and concluded that the same twenty organisations are to blame.
The biggest culprits?
Texas-based gas and oil giants, ExxonMobil who contribute a staggering 5.9 million tons of plastic waste, followed by:
The second-largest polluter, Dow, created 5.5 million tons of plastic waste, while third-placed Sinopec created 5.3 million tons.
But dig a little deeper, and you find that this waste is being funded by some of the world’s leading banks, the biggest culprits being:
Professor Sam Fankhauser, a climate change economics specialist at the University of Oxford and the London School of Economics, explains:
“Our reliance on oil and gas is not only fuelling climate change but as the primary material used in the production of throwaway plastics is also devastating our oceans. It’s critically important petrochemical companies move towards circular economy-based alternatives if we are going to tackle these interlinked crises successfully.
The benefits on offer are transformative and hugely beneficial, not only for our environment and ecosystems but also on the communities living with the realities of plastic pollution.”
In other words, single-use plastic is pretty much made up of polymers that come from oil, gas and coal. And not only are these polymers some of the hardest items to recycle (with just 10%-15% recycled each year globally), they’re also what ends up destroying marine life and vegetation in our oceans.
And this is only going to get worse due to the increase in face mask and protective equipment production caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The future of the plastic waste epidemic lies in the hands of just twenty companies, and they have to act NOW.
ExxonMobil has been swift to react by releasing a statement which says:
“ExxonMobil is taking action to address plastic waste by increasing plastic recyclability, supporting improvements in plastic waste recovery – for example, through our founding membership in the Alliance to End Plastic Waste – and minimising plastic pellet loss from our operations.
We’re also working on advanced recycling solutions that create and capture value from plastic waste with opportunities for lower overall greenhouse gas emissions over the full life cycle of the plastic.”
Whether this is a piece of greenwashing PR spin remains to be seen, but the world is watching.
We can all do something on a personal level, but what about businesses and corporations?
One of the best things business leaders can do is talk to Certified Sustainable.
Why?
Because we produce comprehensive Sustainability Impact Reports detailing the environmental impact of the day-to-day operations of businesses. We then develop technical solutions and real-world strategies that make a business measurably more sustainable.
No fluff. No PR gimmickry. Just real-world change.
