Companies worldwide are searching for replacements to single-use plastics, but many eco-friendly packaging options remain costly, less functional, or difficult to scale, slowing progress toward sustainability goals.
Clara Hudson reports for The Wall Street Journal.
In short:
- Global plastic production exceeds 400 million tons annually, with only 10% recycled, prompting efforts to develop biodegradable or recyclable substitutes.
- Businesses face pressure from upcoming European Union packaging rules, state laws in the U.S., and a potential UN treaty, but many are scaling back targets due to high costs and manufacturing challenges.
- Some major brands, including Amazon and McDonald’s franchises, are adopting paper-based or waste-derived materials, while others like Coca-Cola have retreated from earlier commitments.
Key quote:
“Plastics are a grave, growing and underrecognized danger to human and planetary health.”
— Paper published in The Lancet
Why this matters:
Plastic waste is a long-lived pollutant infiltrating ecosystems, food chains, and even human bodies. Microplastics have been found in drinking water, seafood, and the air, raising concerns about potential links to respiratory issues, reproductive harm, and other health effects. Production relies heavily on fossil fuels, tying plastic use to climate change, while disposal often means landfilling, incineration, or leakage into oceans. As regulations tighten and public awareness grows, the lack of affordable, scalable alternatives risks prolonging environmental damage and increasing the health burden, particularly in communities already facing pollution from other industrial sources.
Related: Seeking alternatives to plastic for produce packaging
