Closing the Loop: 5 Ways to Transform the Plastics Economy

Closing the Loop: 5 Ways to Transform the Plastics Economy

Since its discovery, plastic has played a great role in all of our lives and has taken an ample space on our planet due to the slowest decomposition ever. Choosing recycled plastic products can make a difference. The world is leading its way toward a sustainable lifestyle and the plastic economy is one of the key pathways to achieve it. We can begin with our personal understanding and initiate the steps to close the loop for the revolving and evolving plastic in our day-to-day lives. Recycling and reusing it brings the ultimate approach to sustainable development.

And, here are the 5 ways to transform the plastic economy.

1. A BIG ‘NO’ TO SINGLE-USE PLASTIC

It takes millions of years for plastic to decompose. To close the loop, we need to put a full stop to single-use plastics. Recently, the Indian Government took a step toward the same by banning the manufacture, sale, and use of identified single-use plastic items like plates, cups, straws, trays, and polystyrene as a transforming step toward the plastics economy. This will result in a huge decrease in plastic pollution.

2. PLASTIC WASTE RECOVERY

Sustainable development always keeps an approach to waste recovery, that is, using waste as a resource. Landfills can not be cleared out due to the dumps of waste made of non-decomposable materials like plastic. Forming raw materials out of this waste is an innovation and has been applied in various aspects globally, for example in the construction of roads. Ultimately, it leads to a reduction in the manufacturing of more plastic.

3. CHOOSING RECYCLED PRODUCTS

1 million recycled plastic bottles eliminate 180 metric tons of CO2 emissions from being released into the atmosphere and control the greenhouse emission, hence reducing the carbon footprints. Ganesha Ecosphere is a leading PET plastic recycler in India that has launched the brand Go Rewise which manufactures high-quality rPET products such as rPET flakes, rPET chips bottle grade, and rPET fully-drawn yarn.

4. RESPONSIBLE PLASTIC CONSUMPTION AND HABITS

Promoting trends of replacing plastic with any other environment-friendly alternative can work really well in transforming the plastic economy. By using cloth bags instead of plastic bags, replacing plastic utensils with steel or glass ones, and many more. Some legal actions always help to keep a check on these trends! In addition, sorting the recyclable and non-recyclable waste increases the efficiency of recycling along with ensuring waste recovery.

5. POLICY FRAMEWORK TO SUPPORT PLASTIC TRANSFORMATION

Plastic pollution is a serious threat to all of us. A proper framework that is well considerate of the collection and recycling of plastic along with its further transformation as a recovered resource for further application, is important. Policymakers have identified this as a solution and have launched policies such as EPR which hold brand makers & manufacturers responsible for the proper collection & recycling of plastic waste. Such policies also enable the establishment of more jobs in the economy while ensuring recyclers are rewarded for their efforts. Recently, the Indian government has made it mandatory from 2025 onwards to use recycled content packaging. 

OUR ROLE

Go Rewise as the prominent brand by Ganesha Ecosphere is working towards recycling tonnes of plastic innovatively to produce eco-friendly products including rPET flakes, rPET chips bottle grade, rPET fully-drawn yarn, and many more to make a difference. These have applications in industries ranging from packaging, apparel, automotive, etc., hence, adding to transform the plastic economy.