The Role of Plastic as Demand Soars

Over the last 10 years there has been a pronounced increase in anti-plastic sentiment from activist groups and the general public. All industries that rely on plastic have been feeling the pressure to find alternatives and transition towards more sustainable business models. While there has unquestionably been widespread irresponsible handling and disposal of plastic, it would do far more harm than good if we were to do away with the material altogether. So many of the advances in science, medicine and engineering – to name just a few of the areas – were made possible by plastic; now in the age of COVID-19, plastic has never been so important.

Throughout 2020, the demand for a huge range of plastic products soared dramatically. Items such as supermarket packaging for food and drink products, toiletry and hygiene products, cleaning products, PPE and medical equipment have experienced the sharpest increases in demand throughout the pandemic. Without plastic, it would not have been possible to have such ready access to all of these essential products when they were needed most. Despite the demands of environmental activists, it is simply the case that not all plastic is replaceable.

The solution to the problems arising from how we use plastic will not be found in resisting or denying the necessity of the material in its many essential functions. Rather, we should be stressing the importance of good recycling practices and be pushing for further investment in our recycling infrastructure. We should be doing all we can to ensure that the availability of recycling is always able to meet the need for it. This push needs to come both from businesses and the general population if we are going to achieve real change in how we manage our waste.

Ethical waste management can be a confusing and often even a daunting concept for many businesses who are not equipped with the specialist expertise to know what they should be doing. That is where Let’s Recycle It can step in and offer all of the support you need; our recycling experts can advise you on every step along the way to properly handling all of your waste materials. We are an accredited recycler and we only use licensed and reputable end users. Our recycling services are fully traceable so you can be certain your waste is being handled in a fully ethical way.