How to responsibly source post-consumer recycled plastic

Ōtautahi - As the use of recycled materials becomes more popular, the world must examine its source and ask who is collecting it, in what conditions is it collected and what are the environmental and social impacts of collection?

The lack of data and transparency surrounding post-consumer recycled plastic and other materials leads to irresponsible sourcing.

Ethically sourcing post-consumer recycled plastic is crucial to addressing the plastic crisis and achieving a more sustainable future.

The lack of data and transparency surrounding post-consumer recycled plastic and other materials leads to irresponsible sourcing.

Greenpeace Aotearoa is calling for a ban on plastic waste exports. As businesses focus more on corporate social responsibility, recycling has emerged as the industry norm in many sectors, especially fashion, textiles and food and beverage.

This is a step in the right direction, but using recycled materials does not solve the entire problem.

A significant portion of a company’s environmental footprint appears in the sourcing and production of materials. This includes the collection of plastic waste used in its products, an area where companies have least control.

The sourcing of recyclable plastic must be done responsibly. To claim ethical sourcing, companies must do more than merely collect valuable plastic to use in their products. The treatment of workers and the well-being of marginalised communities must be considered too.

Industries, such as fashion, food and beverage, report a high percentage of recycled materials in their products. Informal waste pickers are the main collectors of post-consumer recycled plastic.

People often work in deplorable, unsafe conditions gathering valuable materials to send to primary and secondary collectors. Those collectors then sort and grade the plastic and send it to recyclers. Hard-to-recycle plastic is typically left in open dumping grounds.

This unregulated practice encourages child labour, health hazards and high-risk activities, all for very low pay for the informal waste pickers. Marginalised communities, including children, live and work on dump sites picking up valuable materials.

Without regulations, members of marginalised communities live in poverty in hazardous conditions, while recycling centres and companies using post-consumer recycled plastics and other materials turn a profit.

In some countries there are significant gaps in the collection of recyclable plastic, including:

• The lack of collection and treatment of non-recyclable, low-value plastic

• The lack of transparency of sources

• The lack of basic rights and fair working conditions for the informal waste sector

• The potential for child labour to be used

To fill these gaps, responsible sourcing must include the collection of low-value plastic alongside value materials. Beyond collection, it must also support the community members from which the plastic is sourced.

Without guidelines and an audited, controlled procedure, companies cannot ensure that these gaps are filled. Until they fill these gaps, it will be challenging to claim responsible sourcing of their post-consumer recycled plastic materials.

The rise of recycled plastic and other materials has increased the rate of value waste collection, but it still leaves a huge percentage of mismanaged plastic waste in the environment, where it causes local health issues and often ends up as marine plastic.