The #PlasticTax is animating a diatribe, in Italy, between the government and opposition political factions. But the commentators of the national political theater - as well as some of its protagonists - miss the vision of a broader scenario. The #BreakFreeFromPlastic report offers some examples of the eco-logical initiatives carried out in other European countries.
Plastic Tax, the debate in Italy
La Plastic Tax - like various other measures contained in the budget maneuver decided by the government, one above all the Sugar Tax - is contested as the umpteenth, useless gabelle. Even if necessary, together with others, to avert the much more serious threat of an increase in VAT, which would affect all citizens indiscriminately.
The cd stakeholder, the social partners concerned, in turn, are animated by the 'here and now'. Thus recyclers (Assorimap), plastics converters (Unionplast), consumers (Federconsumatori) and large-scale distribution (Federdistribuzione) ask to open a work table. Without rushing to a measure that is feared to have a serious impact on the economy and employment. Strongly opposed, ca va sans dire, also from Confindustria e PlasticsEurope.
The rhetoric of the rabbit which suddenly emerges from the hat of a money-hungry magician, however, is false in its assumptions. Since she neglects:
- the premises. The total inattention, of politics as well as of most operators and consumers, towards the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and the correct management of packaging materials following consumption,
- current events. An undisputed and unprecedented environmental crisis. Pollution from plastics and microplastics, which affects Italy e the Mediterranean much more than the countries of Northern Europe,
- the scenery. There is no debate - as well as it would be useful - on the Eurozone and the periodic diktats imposed only on the PIGS (Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain). But on the short, medium and term environmental policies to be implemented in the Old Continent. Starting from the European Union, to involve neighboring states as well and Partner commercial.
Plastic pollution. Knowledge of the problem and policies in Europe
European citizens demonstrate a growing awareness of the environmental crisis caused by plastics. Recent polls show that 92% of citizens approve of measures to reduce single-use plastic products, 87% are concerned about the impact of plastic on the environment, 74% are concerned about their health. Thanks to the widespread information - which is lacking in Italy, since the general media are on the leash of large advertising investors - on the 'microplastics problem'.
Microplastics are ubiquitous and dangerous to human health. They are found in the atmosphere, like in irrigation water e in the potable ones. And so they became part of our diet, with an individual intake estimated as a total of about 5 grams per week.
Thecircular economy package' is the most extensive reform - carried out in the European Union in 2018 and at the forefront at a global level - to implement the so-called waste hierarchy in various industrial supply chains. The 'strategy for plastics in the circular economy', aimed at reducing pollution from single-use plastics. Europe, it should be noted, excels in the consumption of plastics. Packaging represents 40% of consumption and recycling is less than 30%.
Disposable plastic items, the SUPs directive
The directive (EU) 2019/904 'on reducing the impact of certain plastic products on the environment'(Single-Use Plastics Directive, SUPs) has defined a series of measures that Member States will have to take to stem the problem of 'disposable plastic items most commonly found on beaches'.
The problem of pollution obviously cannot be solved by plastics with the solutions proposed by Big food, as Greenpeace also pointed out. In fact, plastic must be managedfrom cradle to grave'(literally, from the cradle to the grave). Referring first of all to the first two tools mentioned in the waste hierarchy, Reduction and Reuse.
Reuse, repeatedly referred to in the SUPs directive, postulates a structural revision of the production and use models of non-durable consumer goods (eg food and beverages, cosmetics, detergents) contained in packaging. And it is considered to be one of the most effective solutions to tackle the problem of single-use plastics. With tangible economic advantages and environmental, social and cultural benefits.
The advantages of reuse in fact, they far exceed those that may derive from other practices. Such as the increase in recycling rates, which in the waste hierarchy is subordinate to reuse. Either the lightening of packaging, or the simple replacement of petroleum polymers with bioplastics. Here are some examples.
#BreakFreeFromPlastic, #RethinkPlastic, the relationship
The EFSA and ECDC's One Health report just published by the movement Break Free From Plastic Europe and the alliance of European NGOs Rethink Plastic shows the effective possibility of replacing single-use plastic, in many cases, with reusable packaging. The study focuses on some single-use plastic items, considered by the SUP directive, which are still widely used in the retail sale of food and beverages.
1.A) Disposable cups for beverages, lo status quo
Disposable cups in expanded polystyrene (EPS) are banned by the SUPs directive starting from July 2021. By the same date, all disposable cups for beverages must bear a mark indicating the presence of plastic, the correct way of handling the relative waste, the potential impact negative environmental impact in case of inappropriate disposal. Member States also have a duty to drastically reduce their consumption by 2026.
They are found now commercially available cups in plastic (polystyrene or polypropylene) or in cardboard, lined internally with polymers. Or 'alternative' cups in bioplastic (eg PLA). The SUPs directive, or SUPD (Single-Use Plastics Directive), however, excludes from its field of application only natural polymers, that is, not chemically modified. And biodegradable and compostable plastics - even if derived (in whole or in part) from renewable sources - are made with chemically modified polymers, therefore prohibited.
Costs of a 300ml disposable cup range from € 0,02 (polystyrene), 0,03 (polypropylene, PP), 0,05 (laminated paper), 0,07 cents (PET, PLA).
The consumption that's extraordinary, 2,8 billion disposable coffee mugs a year in Germany, 3 billion in the UK. Less than 1% of the cups are recycled, due to the difficulty of separating the plastic liner from the paper.
The same items in reusable format they are made of plastics (polypropylene), stainless steel or glass. For the lids, silicone or plastic is usually used. Costs vary in relation to material and size. There are also reusable solutions for a limited period. Like the polystyrene cups (washable up to 100 times, € 0,30 approx.) And the polycarbonate cups (500 washing cycles, € 0,65).
1.B) Disposable cups for drinks, the solution
'ReCup' is the deposit system with deposit (DRS, Deposit-Refund System) adopted in Switzerland and Germany, in which nearly 3.000 distributors in over 450 cities participate. Citizens, after paying a € 1 deposit for each cup, get a refund when the container is returned to one of the many suppliers (also available through an App). Half a million of these cups, which can be reused up to 500 times, are now in circulation.
In England, a similar initiative was implemented with RFID technology (radio-frequency identification). It is thus possible to follow distribution, washing cycles, returns. The system is already widespread in offices, university campuses, airports and public events. From June to September 2019, over 100 thousand uses.
2.A) Beverage containers, the problem
Containers for drinks they will have to be re-designed by 2024, according to the SUPD, so that the caps remain attached to the bottles after use. PET bottles (those used for mineral water and carbonated drinks) will have to be composed of an increasing share of recycled plastic (> 25% by 2025,> 30% by 2030).
Separate collection in turn, it will have to reach 77% (by weight) of the bottles placed on the market by 2025, 90% by 2029.
Bottles and caps made of plastic are the most widely abandoned objects on European beaches. Annual consumption of single-use beverage bottles in Europe is estimated at 46 billion units. Italy stands out due to the global leadership in the consumption of bottled mineral water (13,5 billion liters, equal to 224 liters per person, plus 1,5 billion liters exported). The Italian stock of plastic bottles is equal to 11 billion pieces, of which 80-90% ends up in waste-to-energy plants, incinerators, landfills. Besides being dispersed into the environment.
To produce a 500ml disposable PET bottle has variable costs in different regions, with an average estimated at € 0,04. And a reusable glass container can cost 12 times as much (€ 0,50). PET But the reusable solutions proposed today can also include the use of PET, in a format that is obviously more resistant than single-use ones.
2.B) Beverage containers, the solution
In Germany, on each glass and reusable plastic bottle the 'deposit', blank with bail. A deposit of € 0,08 or 0,15 on beer bottles (33-50cl), depending on the type of glass, and € 0,15 for reusable rigid plastic. An overweight of € 0,25 instead applies to non-recyclable bottles (with a different logo).
All exercises who sell bottles with 'deposit'must accept the empty ones, even if the single bottle has been purchased elsewhere. Glass bottles are subjected to an average of 50 washing cycles, plastic ones to 25 cycles. Thanks to this system, the return rate of containers has reached 99%.
The environmental impact of refillable bottles, moreover, is lower than that of the corresponding disposable plastic items. Also from the point of view of the so-called carbon footprint:
- 68,7 kg CO2e / 1000 liters for 'refillable' PET containers,
- 85 kg CO2e / 1000 l glass,
- 139kgCO2e / 1000 li disposable PET containers.
3) Food containers, problem and solution
Food containers in expanded polystyrene (EPS) - those traditionally used in fast food - are prohibited, by the SUPD, starting from July 2021. EPS and polypropylene (PP) are the most common materials for making the containers, often with a PVC or polyethylene cover. On the other hand, coupled paper and cardboard are mainly used for the lids of aluminum take-away containers.
The cost commercial of a 700ml food container typically ranges from € 0,20 to 0,80, depending on the material. Italy - together with the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Spain - is among the top 13 countries in the world for consumption of take-away meals. 50% of the expanded polystyrene containers are incinerated, almost all of the remainder ends up in landfills.
Resistant plastics with multiple cycles of use (such as polybutylene terephthalate, PBT), glass and stainless steel are instead the most common materials for reusable containers.
'recircle' is the system of reuse of containers adopted in Switzerland, once again based on the deposit with deposit. Customers of bars, clubs, restaurants and takeaway who adhere to recircle they can actually 'rent' a take-away container, leaving a deposit of 10 CHF. Upon return, the user can request the return of the 10 CHF or obtain a clean container to use for the next meal. The participating premises are over 800, 70.000 reusable containers in circulation.
4) Plastic plates and cutlery
Dishes and cutlery single-use plastics are prohibited by the SUPs directive as of July 2021. This measure had garnered lively protests in Italy, which is a European leader in consumption but also in production. Moreover, these objects are in seventh place among the disposable items most frequently found on the beaches. And the NGO 'Ocean Conservancy'indicates cutlery as the deadliest plastic waste of seabirds, mammals and turtles.
Cutlery in polystyrene cost an average of € 0,15 each, 0,45 the set of knife, fork and spoon. At least 10 times cheaper than reusable alternatives, steel or Bamboo. The disposable plates themselves, in polystyrene or paper coupled with a polymer, have an average cost of € 0,05. The disposable alternatives in compostable materials, moreover, do not represent a solution to the ecological crisis since the short life cycle associated with consumption does not justify the waste of resources necessary for production.
'LessMessage' and 'ReCircle' are the systems adopted in the United Kingdom and Germany for the deposit of reusable tableware with security. The user pays the deposit when he receives the meal and gets a refund following the return, after consumption. The system is also very effective at festivals and outdoor events, where reusable crockery is made available to all restaurateurs present who refer to a central redelivery washing service.
Provisional conclusions
Packaging management food is destined for a radical and irresistible transformation. Taxes on single-use items are the first step needed to spur a breakthrough. However, they must be accompanied by tangible incentives for the consumers themselves, such as a reduction in VAT on food products sold and served in reusable packaging. Only in this way can they be motivated to change the consumption model, without, among other things, reducing tax revenues significantly in the start-up phase.
Economic operators after all they can already benefit from significant tax credits on investments in research and development. Rather, the government will have to hurry in implementing the incentives provided for by the growth decree in favor of SMEs and innovative startups. And especially implement the Third Sector Code, so that it is the ETS that guide social innovation towards sustainable and participatory development models based on the circular economy.
The analysis of the various projects mentioned above shows a potential for growth - also from an economic and employment point of view, in the various territorial districts - which cannot be neglected for short-term electoral convenience or for lack of vision on the part of the operators concerned. For once in a while, even in Italy, a country-system strategy should be shared.
Customers, they will have to learn to accept slightly worn, but no less safe, packaging for excellent and convenient foods. Industries will be able to devote research and development to the identification of durable materials, easy to wash and sanitize, rigorously Made in Italy:. And new businesses, including social ones, will be able to develop ecological washing, transport and storage services for the sectors public and private. Mitigating its water and environmental impact through the use of electricity from renewable sources and the use of electric vehicles, for example.
Dario Dongo and Luca Foltran
Footnotes
(1) See dir. EU 2019/904, 'on reducing the impact of certain plastic products on the environment’, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2019/904/oj?locale=it
(2) S. Miller, M. Bolger, L. Copello (2019). Reusable solutions: How governments can help stop single-use plastic pollution. 3Keel, Oxford, United Kingdom. A study by the Rethink Plastic alliance and the Break Free From Plastic movement. https://plasticchange.org/wp-content/uploads//2019/10/reusable_solutions_how_governments_can_help_stop-single_use_plastic_pollution.pdf
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
Expert in packaging and materials intended to come into contact with food substances and related legislative changes. He manages the information site foodcontactmaterials.info on European and extra-European regulations in the field of materials intended for contact with food.
