{"id":65934,"date":"2024-09-11T15:55:34","date_gmt":"2024-09-11T03:55:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/?p=65934"},"modified":"2025-06-25T01:36:48","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T13:36:48","slug":"the-many-solutions-to-the-plastic-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/the-many-solutions-to-the-plastic-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"The many solutions to the plastic crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong><em>How does the world break free from plastic?&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"519\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXe8uRln7OK0QZTAZzIa54kDtssFRbUKwufotGJQ6yUi7bM-ckjG35ehuk4iy4k1H4NW3aY_OkhCnuhJxJfh4reODdEKg2FWivtOfdBqRzNDjyUA-SWXSSs-J1SHLmmdtp-gZolC-d1YqwdY71A9Qco0UGTn?key=l50uJ3HFg1Vy-JwRdqVB8g\"><br><br>The truth is,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/every-single-piece-of-plastic-ever-made-still-exists-heres-the-story\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> plastic hasn&#8217;t been here long.<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p>Plastic was invented after World War Two and the tsunami of plastic waste has massively multiplied in just the last twenty years.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/why-greenpeace-is-calling-on-governments-to-cut-plastic-production-by-at-least-75-by-2040\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> Global plastic production doubled from 2000 to 2019.<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p>While this can feel overwhelming, it also means we can turn it around. And it\u2019s not on consumers to try and do it alone &#8211;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/plastic-free-july-is-a-waste-of-time-if-the-onus-is-only-on-consumers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> we know by acting together towards clear goals we can achieve a lot!&nbsp;<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p>\ud83d\udc2c Together, we can push companies to commit to a path towards circular design for all their products and packaging.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>\ud83d\udc2c Together, we can get behind Councils to supply more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/comprehensive-container-return-scheme-needed-to-address-plastic-waste-crisis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reuse and refillable systems.<\/a> This will make it easy for anyone to replace single-use plastic, so we only use plastic where we need to.<\/p>\n\n<p>\ud83d\udc2c We can back our Government to work with others for a global approach to regulating corporate plastic production.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The recycling myth&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXfcZ8EqfShX3uMlehaVQD-we5VAQPn5AiLBNHTUqBRTkPUKN0r8_Onkd4YCBMcl9raLXyo6VOdCGbZPQ_f_6XM0kgyrK9SU1QtNT-dj6Ixjm5El9wSgF3GpwbP3GmI6ixBCDBcO1j5FDGtc6JcbRcLJOHQ?key=l50uJ3HFg1Vy-JwRdqVB8g\" alt=\"A huge pile of trash with a small human figure at top\"\/><\/figure>\n\n<p>Only 9% of plastic ever created has been recycled. And every year, more plastic is produced.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>The remaining 91% ends up in landfills or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=4q4vbNEwjzc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">shipped abroad to countries like Malaysia<\/a>. Some of it is burnt, releasing toxic chemicals. And anything else ends up in the oceans and forests to break down into microplastics.<\/p>\n\n<p>Yes, some plastics are recyclable, but the process of recycling plastic reduces its quality. Most products can only be recycled once or twice before they become trash in landfills.<\/p>\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why does recycling fail?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n<p>Despite our best intentions, too many variables mean recycling systems fail.&nbsp;<br><\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>There are many kinds of plastics, some that aren\u2019t recyclable.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Many people are confused about the types of plastics and which are recyclable.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Different local councils around New Zealand have different recycling systems, which contributes to confusion.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Recycling processors aren\u2019t able to cope with the volume of plastic waste.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>While communities across New Zealand have done well in setting up recycling systems, these variables mean the systems fall over.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A linear economy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXffxkTl7SiK\ucf1cIxqwSVP1HFFxgJX315gMRH4VVaubq_Cw27zF46eSlxMr-C8B_-qxa6OkK5xnYX_PnSLO31klyXm7Jrn9EMmAtPgUBpOhP5YOr6C3I2bE9fKvy0hj3YNq2kN_5C-F8dzAjlr2blf6t8e?key=l50uJ3HFg1Vy-JwRdqVB8g\" alt=\"Rows of 2L Coca Cola bottles on supermarket shelves\"\/><\/figure>\n\n<p>Our modern throwaway culture produces endless single-use items.<\/p>\n\n<p>When <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/polar-bears-exposed-to-plastic-pollution-in-their-arctic-home\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a polar bear finds a plastic item in fresh Antarctic snow<\/a>, it\u2019s evident that no ecosystem has been left unaffected. Plastic is overwhelming the natural world and our communities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>Producing single-use plastic is an example of a &#8216;linear economy&#8217;. A linear economy is like a one-way road, with products designed, created, used and then thrown away. Companies extract the resources, produce a single-use item, the customer uses it and then disposes of it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>The cost of disposal is paid by the community and the environment. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/the-story-behind-an-italian-single-use-plastic-bottle\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">A plastic container can last decades longer than the company that produced it.<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"CircularEconomies\"><strong>Designing circular economies<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p>A circular system designs items in a way that doesn&#8217;t lose value. The end use or disposal is designed into the product.<\/p>\n\n<p>A natural example of this is a garden compost. Food scraps from the kitchen go into the compost bin, which is added to the garden to grow food that then goes back to the kitchen!<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXdgrcbdD4Zy7ECXSEGLbt2N2WJN37T8toqj3sRcwMUmoEnuowmkz7kEbv1w3o_P-GiTlQbGg8IfKuy-I_3yHiLu6qS8oHHCfYstAYoWhKDx8A6T-MbcWwSFsT7G197jIcLi2ljEDcXKuyXGZyMDmfIJwPHy?key=l50uJ3HFg1Vy-JwRdqVB8g\" alt=\"Clear self service tubes with grains and legumes.\"\/><\/figure>\n\n<p>In reality, we already live in a circular economy, and that is how nature works.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>By recognising the limits of the natural \u2018economy\u2019 we live in, producers can design products that work together within those limits.<\/p>\n\n<p>We humans are ingenious problem solvers when given the opportunity and a clear goal! We can redesign items that do good for the world and for ourselves.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Indigenous wisdom reflects a world without plastic waste<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXciWphSvoPxnjmTSog6YJhW599jRcatOrKQPzMMAuGnHivy8uWwjmJ5Ljj6uzEJnj8hC16WpaDhQeZ2wTNxuvHy22dRuHjZqM_CTR3KNRO3gElPJZzzQYnyJebCwS3z8ieW5CZidx2agwgpmQvWE03oiXs?key=l50uJ3HFg1Vy-JwRdqVB8g\" alt=\"A group of diverse people behind a long table with flags, one the tino rangatiratanga flag. A banner says PLASTIC POLLUTION\"\/><\/figure>\n\n<p>Circular economic systems aren&#8217;t a new idea<a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/why-plastics-can-never-be-circular\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> within traditional worldviews, such as Te Ao M\u0101ori.&nbsp;<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p>Organisations such as<a href=\"https:\/\/www.parakore.maori.nz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> Para Kore<\/a> are leading the way with an approach based on a M\u0101ori worldview for zero waste wh\u0101nau M\u0101ori.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>And <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nzappa.org\/tangata-whenua-coalition-for-an-effective-plastics-treaty-twc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">M\u0101ori plastic pollution experts<\/a> support an effective Global Plastics Treaty that respects Indigenous self-determination.<\/p>\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-style-plain is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cCircular economy is not a modern innovation. It is Indigenous intellectual property embedded in the lifestyles of First Peoples globally for millennia.\u201d <\/p>\n<cite><a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/an-indigenous-perspective-is-essential-for-a-strong-global-plastics-treaty\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/an-indigenous-perspective-is-essential-for-a-strong-global-plastics-treaty\/\">Juressa Lee, Greenpeace campaigner&nbsp;<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A culture of re-use<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXeXQVsA_-FaQffiJWiDETGSRNPH1RuHE5mvzWQVkraC2wyxCMlRIubakSxvKK1ZlCiVARtTWgHcThgU14on6YMyjgNGzr1VuAUjzW5tqNdSg0pQxOtO5EAVnRMq7-X3qFuoLrQ1j2nVVnTdqD3BTDaiaJol?key=l50uJ3HFg1Vy-JwRdqVB8g\" alt=\"Someone pours beans into a glass jar, using a metal scoop\"\/><\/figure>\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/join-the-movement-to-support-the-reuse-revolution\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">One of the big system shifts our modern society needs is to move from \u2018throwaway\u2019 mode towards choosing reuse instead.<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>In reality, there is no such thing as &#8216;away&#8217;! The world is a closed system, and everything goes somewhere, to the depths of the ocean or into the Antarctic.<\/p>\n\n<p>A keep cup for takeaway coffee is an item designed to be used over and over. Biodegradable items are made from materials designed to go into an industrial compost facility after use.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Grow the feeling of appreciation in our lives<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n<p>We gain in many ways when we design waste out of a system. For example when we look after&nbsp; the things we use daily they last longer, and we appreciate these material items.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>Not so long ago, in our grandparents&#8217; time, people valued their material things a lot more. We took good care of them and appreciated the craft of making and repairing them.<\/p>\n\n<p>Culture is an act of cultivation &#8211; by taking care and looking after our things, we can recreate a culture of reuse, refill and circularity. And we\u2019ll enjoy it more too!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Let\u2019s end the era of plastic&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXcGru0KQKpFclWtpG8MaRtjcWc3jj2g2l2nGlKjJphH9PJk8aX8YSw8SR-2S3FJXkAx2DEYcMN-OgPMdgPQe27qAGdh0smkhuYZPKRfFC1XPHGaw1DUJF1YeLeWvhBgoU1Vi6KaP_VOEn0R7uVIfCyj2bBY?key=l50uJ3HFg1Vy-JwRdqVB8g\" alt=\"12 people at NZ Parliament hold a big banner that says BAN THE BOTTLE, break free from plastic, Greenpeace.\"\/><\/figure>\n\n<p>In November 2022, Aotearoa joined the <a href=\"https:\/\/hactoendplasticpollution.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<p>Members of the High Ambition Coalition share a common vision to end plastic pollution by 2040.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>We can all get behind ambitious, legally binding international agreements to limit the production of plastic.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<section\n\t\t\tclass=\"boxout post-50887  sticky-bottom-mobile collapse show\"\n\t\t\tid=\"action-card\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\tdata-ga-category=\"Take Action Boxout\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-ga-action=\"Image\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-ga-label=\"n\/a\"\n\t\t\t\tclass=\"cover-card-overlay\"\n\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/petition\/petition-global-plastics-treaty\/\" \n\t\t\t><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img\n\t\t\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2022\/02\/1fda9d39-ag-oetition.jpg\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tsrcset=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2022\/02\/1fda9d39-ag-oetition-600x431.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2022\/02\/1fda9d39-ag-oetition-768x552.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2022\/02\/1fda9d39-ag-oetition-473x340.jpg 473w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2022\/02\/1fda9d39-ag-oetition.jpg 931w\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tsizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 358px, (min-width: 780px) 313px, 88px\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\talt=\"\" title=\"\"\n\t\t\t\t\/>\n            \t\t\t<div class=\"boxout-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"boxout-heading medium\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-ga-category=\"Take Action Boxout\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-ga-action=\"Title\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-ga-label=\"n\/a\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/petition\/petition-global-plastics-treaty\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPETITION: Demand a Global Plastics Treaty\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"boxout-excerpt\">Call on the NZ Government to stand firm and support a strong global plastics treaty.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t                                    <a\n                        class=\"btn btn-primary\"\n                        data-ga-category=\"Take Action Boxout\"\n                        data-ga-action=\"Call to Action\"\n                        data-ga-label=\"n\/a\"\n                        href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/petition\/petition-global-plastics-treaty\/\"\n                        \n                    >\n                        Take Action\n                    <\/a>\n                \t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"not-now\"\n\t\t\t\t\trole=\"button\"\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-bs-toggle=\"collapse\"\n\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#action-card\"\n\t\t\t\t><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/section>\n\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How does the world break free from plastic?\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":78,"featured_media":65937,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_planet4_optimize_post_is_variant":false,"_planet4_optimize_experiment_name":"","_planet4_optimize_variant_name":"","ep_exclude_from_search":false,"p4_og_title":"The many solutions to the plastic crisis","p4_og_description":"How do we break from plastic and stop plastic pollution? Check out the many solutions! ","p4_og_image":"","p4_og_image_id":"","p4_seo_canonical_url":"","p4_campaign_name":"","p4_local_project":"","p4_basket_name":"","p4_department":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[27],"p4-page-type":[6],"class_list":["post-65934","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-greenpeace","tag-plastics","p4-page-type-story"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.8 (Yoast SEO v26.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The many solutions to the plastic crisis<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/the-many-solutions-to-the-plastic-crisis\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The many solutions to the plastic crisis\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"How does the world break free from plastic?\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"http:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/the-many-solutions-to-the-plastic-crisis\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Greenpeace Aotearoa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/greenpeace.nz\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-09-11T03:55:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-06-24T13:36:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2024\/09\/3dac3989-gp1sv82f_low-res-800px.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"519\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Eliot Pryor\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@GreenpeaceNZ\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@GreenpeaceNZ\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Eliot Pryor\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/the-many-solutions-to-the-plastic-crisis\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/the-many-solutions-to-the-plastic-crisis\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Eliot Pryor\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/#\/schema\/person\/ca0a958e8887619f0ff4681bc8ea7537\"},\"headline\":\"The many solutions to the plastic 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Break Free From Plastic message lights up the night near the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington. Its already no secret that big brands are driving the plastic pollution crisis. In 2020, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Nestle were once again named the world's biggest corporate polluters. These companies' business models are built on greenwashing customers into falsely believing recycling will fix plastic pollution. It is also built on keeping the fossil fuel industry in business by continuing to churn out a never ending supply of cheap, single-use plastic. As the fossil fuel industry doubles down on plastic bottles and packaging, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Nestle will be the next key villains in driving the climate crisis. 99% of plastic is made from fossil fuels, like fracked gas and oil, and it contributes to climate change at every step of its lifecycle, from extraction to refinement, manufacture, transportation, disposal, and waste.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/the-many-solutions-to-the-plastic-crisis\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"http:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The many solutions to the plastic crisis\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/\",\"name\":\"Greenpeace Aotearoa\",\"description\":\"Our mission is to ensure Earth\u2019s ability to 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