'Single-Use' Is An Illusion

This week has seen the introduction of bans and restrictions on a range of polluting “single-use” plastic items, predominantly focused on the hospitality industry.

This is yet another important step in the fight against plastic pollution, but why focus on one industry and why only single-use plastic?

The term “single-use” refers to plastic that is used once before being thrown away without being recycled.

But the real problem we have is that even the plastic which can be recycled, isn’t.

In fact, only 10% is recycled.*

So therefore 90% of that plastic which falls outside of the “single-use” bracket, is in fact only used once and by definition single use too.

We are kidding ourselves if we look at it any other way. We have to accept that plastic is plastic and it’s all awful for our environment.

The beauty industry must be a focus for the next traunch of legislation in this area with the government doing more to halt the never ending stream of plastic being incinerated, shipped overseas to be somebody else’s problem, or entering our oceans and landfill.

Consider all those unnecessary caps, bottles, pumps and pipettes next time you walk into any beauty store and ask yourself; are they really going to see a another life?