The message on the bottle: Rethinking plastic labelling to better encourage sustainable use

Burrows, Stephen D.; Ribeiro, Francisca; O’Brien, Stacey; Okoffo, Elvis D.; Toapanta, Tania; Charlton, Nathan P.; Kaserzon, Sarit; Lin, Chun-Yin; Tang, Cheng Kai; Rauert, Cassandra; Wang, Xianyu; Shimko, Katja M.; O’Brien, Jake; Townsend, Piers A.; Grayson, Matthew N.; Galloway, Tamara S.; Thomas, Kevin V.

doi:10.1016/j.envsci.2022.02.015

Cited by 24 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…Make international accepted definitions for biodegradable, degradable, oxo-degradable plastic standards to improve trust and transparency in domestic and international supply-chains. Improve product labeling to provide information that makes it easier for consumers to dispose of the item correctly (Burrows et al, 2022). For example, Australia aims to have 80% of supermarket products to display the Australasian Recycling Label, a world-leading label system (United Nations Environment Programme Consumers International, 2020) which provides information on how each component of the product should be disposed (Figure 1).…”

Section: Harnessing Innovations and Technology Opportunitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

An imperative to focus the plastic pollution problem on place-based solutions

2022

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There is an increased focus on plastic pollution and the resultant harms in our oceans and on our shores at local, regional, and global scales. New technologies are being developed and trialed, multilateral agreements are coming into play, and the role of a circular economy is increasingly touted as the key to help solve the plastic pollution crisis. Simultaneously, we are witnessing the disruption of global supply chains from the COVID-19 pandemic, increased fuel prices and increased scope and scale of natural disasters. Individual countries are setting national targets and are developing national plans of action to combat plastic pollution. In this paper, we focus on Australia's National Plastics Plan as a case study of a national approach to addressing this transboundary issue. We discuss the Plan in relation to supply chains, the role of standards and best practices, and principles for a successful circular plastic economy. We explicitly consider the role of reverse logistics and regional approaches that could be developed and implemented within island nations. Overall, we argue for culturally appropriate, economically and environmentally place-based solutions as a necessary approach to help reduce plastic losses to the environment, acknowledging that plastics leakage to the environment is a social equity issue.

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Section: Harnessing Innovations and Technology Opportunitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

An imperative to focus the plastic pollution problem on place-based solutions

2022

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“…3,4 Heightened concerns around such petrochemical-based, nonbiodegradable polymers have seen an increase in biodegradable plastics (herein referred to as bioplastics), including ones that are biobased such as polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), polybutylene succinate (PBS), starch-based blends, and ones that are fossil-based such as polycaprolactone (PCL), and polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT). 2,5,6 These plastic resins are postulated to have less impact on the environment due to their rapid degradation and subsequently shorter persistence. 2,7 Bioplastics currently represent roughly about one percent of the 367 million tons of plastic produced annually, 5,8 with global production capacities of bioplastics forecasted to surge from 1.6 million tons in 2021 to ∼5.3 million tons in 2026.…”

Section: ■ Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…8,9 Generally, one may associate bioplastics with rapid biodegradability, environmental friendliness, and low toxicity. 6 The reality is that the biodegradation of bioplastics is complex, and the rates depend on the bioplastic properties and the degrading environment with factors including but not limited to the polymer composition, molecular weight, and crystallinity, exposed surface area and roughness, temperature, pH, humidity, oxygen concentration, microbial type, and activity, and availability of nutrients. The biodegradability of bioplastics can vary significantly in different environments.…”

Section: ■ Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Over the past few decades, petrochemical-based polymers (e.g., polyolefins, polyesters, polyamides, etc.,) have played an important role in our lives, reducing the cost of materials and promoting economic development. , These materials are now the subject of growing environmental concern, recognized as one of the most prevalent and long-lasting anthropogenic threats to the Earth’s biosphere. , Heightened concerns around such petrochemical-based, nonbiodegradable polymers have seen an increase in biodegradable plastics (herein referred to as bioplastics), including ones that are biobased such as polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), polybutylene succinate (PBS), starch-based blends, and ones that are fossil-based such as polycaprolactone (PCL), and polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT). ,, These plastic resins are postulated to have less impact on the environment due to their rapid degradation and subsequently shorter persistence. , Bioplastics currently represent roughly about one percent of the 367 million tons of plastic produced annually, , with global production capacities of bioplastics forecasted to surge from 1.6 million tons in 2021 to ∼5.3 million tons in 2026 . Of this family of bioplastics, PBAT, PLA, starch blends, PBS, and PHAs are increasing in popularity and growth rates, accounting for almost 19.2, 18.9, 16.4, 3.5, and 1.8%, respectively, of global production capacity in 2021 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Identification and Quantification of Micro-Bioplastics in Environmental Samples by Pyrolysis–Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry

Okoffo

Chan

Rauert

et al. 2022

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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Bioplastics are materials that are biobased and/or biodegradable, but not necessarily both. Concerns about environmental plastic pollution are constantly growing with increasing demand for substituting fossil-based plastics with those made using renewable resource feedstocks. For many conventional bioplastics to completely decompose/degrade, they require specific environmental conditions that are rarely met in natural ecosystems, leading to rapid formation of micro-bioplastics. As global bioplastic production and consumption/use continue to increase, there is growing concern regarding the potential for environmental pollution from micro-bioplastics. However, the actual extent of their environmental occurrence and potential impacts remains unclear, and there is insufficient mass concentration-based quantitative data due to the lack of quantitative analytical methods. This study developed and validated an analytical method coupling pressurized liquid extraction and pyrolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry combined with thermochemolysis to simultaneously identify and quantify five targeted micro-bioplastics (i.e., polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoate, polybutylene succinate, polycaprolactone, and polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT)) in environmental samples on a polymer-specific mass-based concentration. The recovery of spiked micro-bioplastics in environmental samples (biosolids) ranged from 74 to 116%. The limits of quantification for the target micro-bioplastics were between 0.02 and 0.05 mg/g. PLA and PBAT were commonly detected in wastewater, biosolids, and sediment samples at concentrations between 0.07 and 0.18 mg/g. The presented analytical method enables the accurate identification, quantification, and monitoring of micro-bioplastics in environmental samples. This study quantified five micro-bioplastic types in complex environmental samples for the first time, filling in gaps in our knowledge about bioplastic pollution and providing a useful methodology and important reference data for future research.

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“…By disclosing the data available to the plastic industry, this would allow to estimate actual environmental concentrations (van Dijk et al, 2021) and pave the way to progress so that actual sustainable and safe plastic alternatives could be developed. Moreover, plastic could be labelled with a list of additives in order to allow consumers to make an informed decision "on the plastic additives they are willing to expose themselves and potentially the environment to" (Burrows et al, 2022). However, a full disclosure of chemical ingredients is only feasible to a limited extent because of competitive disadvantages.…”

Section: Chemically Complex Formulationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecotoxicological assessment of microplastics in limnic systems with emphasis on chemicals released by weathering

Klein¹

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Plastic pollution is a pervasive problem. In the environment, both the physical and chemical aspects of the material contribute to pollution. For instance, discarded plastic is useless waste that is fragmented upon degradation and so-called microplastics <5 mm are formed. Besides, the chemicals added into plastics are usually customized for specific functions, but these can easily transfer from the polymer into an ambient medium. This work examined both of these aspects. Moreover, the question of whether ecotoxicological effects are more likely to appear because of the microparticle properties or the chemicals transferring from the microplastics was addressed. A special focus was laid on the UV-weathering-induced chemical release. First, conventional and biodegradable plastics made from fossil and bio-based resources were chosen. The different materials (pre-production and recycled pellets as well as final products)were weathered and their leachates evaluated in vitro. The leachates were analyzed with nontarget screening in order to measure the number of transferred chemicals. Plastics identified as toxic were subjected to further investigations in vivo. A biodegradable shampoo bottle was processed to microplastics and the particles’ physical and chemical properties were assessed with the freshwater worm Lumbriculus variegatus. Here, commonly used endpoints such as mortality, reproduction and weight were tested via different exposure routes. Moreover, the freshwater shrimp Neocaridina palmata was exposed to microplastic beads and fragments to clarify if the shape of the particles affects the ingestion and egestion, respectively. Thereafter, two materials that displayed the strongest toxic responses in vitro within the first study were weathered and leached. Finally, the shrimps were exposed to the leachates and the locomotor behavior was used as an ecologically relevant but less frequently studied endpoint. The results of the studies highlight that plastics are chemically complex mixtures, containing a wide range of chemicals in terms of the number and functionality. These chemicals induced oxidative stress, baseline toxicity and endocrine activities. This shows that pellets represent a processing state that comprises chemically heterogenous materials. Moreover, it was shown that a degradation initiator is not necessarily relevant to trigger inherent substances to leach out from plastics. Despite this, the UV-weathering resulted in increasingly released chemicals and exacerbated the in vitro toxicities. Even plastics assessed as toxicologically harmless prior to weathering released toxic chemical mixtures once they were weathered. One recycled and all of the biodegradable plastics were toxicologically most concerning. This means that such materials are currently not better than conventional, virgin plastics in terms of their toxicity. To clarify the source of the microplastic toxicity, L. variegatus was exposed to biodegradable microplastics. The particles were ingested by the worms and adversely affected the examined endpoints. In comparison, microplastics that were depleted from their chemicals via a solvent treatment were less toxic. Kaolin as a natural particle control was evaluated alongside and positively affected the weight of the worms. This emphasizes the ecological relevance of fine-sized matter for the test species. The chemicals extracted from the microplastics induced a 100% mortality. A chemical analysis of the material revealed two ecotoxicologically relevant biocides. The physically-mediated effects of the microplastics seemed to be less of a concern for the worms, which is probably linked to their adaptation to high concentrations of naturally occurring particles in the environment. However, the effects related to the chemicals of plastic cannot be ignored, especially for materials that are claimed to be environmentally friendly. In the third study, the role of the particle shape in the gut passaging of N. palmata was studied. While the particle size was a determinant factor for the ingestion, the ingestion and egestion of the beads and fragments did not differ, respectively. The shrimps ingested less fragments when food was provided than in the absence of food. As for the worms, the shrimps are known to ingest many naturally occurring particles. Their unselective feeding behavior towards the particle shape could indicate that microplastics as a physical pollutant are negligible for the shrimps. That is why the chemicals of the two most toxic in vitro materials were tested with N. palmata. However, no trend towards elevated or reduced movements of the shrimps was observed, even though the leachates contained baseline toxicants. This shows that the in vitro toxicities of plastics are not necessarily indicative for effects to occur at the in vivo level...

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The message on the bottle: Rethinking plastic labelling to better encourage sustainable use

Cited by 24 publications

References 63 publications

An imperative to focus the plastic pollution problem on place-based solutions

An imperative to focus the plastic pollution problem on place-based solutions

Identification and Quantification of Micro-Bioplastics in Environmental Samples by Pyrolysis–Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry

Ecotoxicological assessment of microplastics in limnic systems with emphasis on chemicals released by weathering

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