Challenges in the context of single-use plastics and bioplastics in Brazil: A legislative review

Abstract

Plastic has been present in our lives for the past century as an essential material for many commodity items. However, the same properties that make plastic convenient are also responsible for the current dramatic environmental pollution. As an alternative, most of the world has been working with technological innovations, and one of its strategies is the use of bioplastics. Despite being considered environmentally beneficial by some people, there are still developments and discussions that need to be made. This article aims to present a legislative review and discusses the difficulty in implementing policies related to the incentive of the bioplastics market, as well as presenting some state and municipal laws, already prohibiting single-use plastics in Brazil. These laws aim to encourage the substitution of these plastics for biodegradable ones. However, it still has gaps and a lack of clarification on how the banning of disposable plastics and their substitution will be beneficial since composting is still an incipient process in the country. It is also the purpose of this article to discuss the challenges in the context of the Circular Economy, as well as the potential solution based on the creation of public policies aimed at improving waste management, in addition to clearer legislation on alternatives to single-use plastics.

Cross‐sectoral citrus sugarcane biorefinery: polyhydroxyalkanoates production in Brazil

“…Regardless of the evidence that bioplastics production offers more significant job creation and more value added than the biofuels industry, 24 the ongoing lack of policy support for bioplastics places them at a disadvantage in the competition for biomass with biofuels. On these grounds, there is a priority need to implement public policies that encourage and ensure the application of resources for the growth and consolidation of companies in the bioplastics sector in Brazil 25 …”

“…On these grounds, there is a priority need to implement public policies that encourage and ensure the application of resources for the growth and consolidation of companies in the bioplastics sector in Brazil. 25 The controversy about land use for plastic production is another paramount concern that should be addressed for expanding the bioplastics industry in Brazil and worldwide. 26 To ensure that bioplastics are genuinely sustainable, the biomass can not be edible for humans, 27,28 that is, firstgeneration biomass (1G), and the land used for growing feedstocks for bioplastics cannot compete with land used for food.…”

Carbon Footprint of Single-Use Plastic Items and Their Substitution

“…Many countries have transposed the directive into national laws for local application; for example, in France, marketing of single-use plastic packaging must end by 2040, and, to achieve this goal, reduction, reuse and recycling targets will be set by decree, with progressive targets [21]. However, the difficulty in implementing policies in this regard is evident and often the initiatives are scattered and entrusted to local entities [22]. Perhaps the lack of clear standards in many countries is noteworthy, generating confusion and regulatory and infrastructural issues [23].…”

Evaluation Study on the Use of Non-Contact Prevention and Protection Products in the Context of COVID-19: A Comprehensive Evaluation Method from AHP and Entropy Weight Method

“…Contactless epidemic prevention products are based on contact epidemic prevention products, and a number of contactless epidemic prevention products have been developed and designed for use, many of which combine the painful and difficult points of current epidemic prevention and control, adding a technological line of defense. The introduction of such contactless products is a sustainable form of consumption for the development of society, an ongoing process that needs to be adapted and developed over time [ 16 ].…”