On 30 November 2021, Packaging Insights published an article regarding replacing plastic with alternative packaging materials. According to WWF’s Sustainable Materials Specialist Paula Chin, this is not the answer to pollution and may even worsen the industry’s environmental impact. Instead, a system-based approach focusing on reuse and refill models must be implemented in which policymakers and businesses are held fully accountable. Ms Chin explains that while the war on single-use plastics is necessary, misperceptions about the role of plastics abound. She highlighted that the public’s attention must shift to the full life cycle of packaging materials. This means, according to Chin, not all plastics are bad and everything else is good. Therefore, she proposes that businesses need to move from a narrow focus on recycling to more resource, efficient business models, such as reusable and refillable packaging. The RCTP fully underlines this statement.
