Single Use Plastic

Many people think of all plastic products as ‘single use’ but a very large proportion of them are not. It is also worth noting that many products made of other materials are also single use products. There are issues regarding the definition of ‘single use’ itself. For example, if a product is recyclable (all plastics are recyclable, technically speaking), it could be argued the material is being used more than once, so should it be classified as ‘single use’? And if plastic is used in a product lasting decades (for example, window profiles and pipes used in the construction and sanitation industries), should this be classified as ‘single use’? Some plastic medical products also need to be single use for safety and hygiene reasons, so should we think of those differently?

Within this document we are referring to products that have a very short lifespan, the most obvious example being certain plastic packaging products — not long-life plastic products. But even then, a lot of plastic packaging is not ‘single use’, e.g. plastic crates, drums and sacks, as well as refillable drinks bottles. The majority of plastic packaging is recyclable and much of it is actually recycled. When the UK government talks about single-use plastics in a legal sense, it has specified products to ensure clarity.

As mentioned, all plastics can be recycled but there are currently technical barriers to recycling some types on an industrial scale, although work is being done around the world to overcome these. Nonetheless, 86% of plastic packaging is recovered in the UK[1] and 49% is recycled.[2]

Legislation now bans some forms of single use plastic items, which has led to factory closures and job losses but there are also unintended consequences when substituting with other materials that can lead to a poorer environmental outcome.

Why do we need single-use plastic in the first place?

Plastic has a relatively low environmental impact when compared with alternative materials. Plastic is widely used for single use items, including packaging, medical devices, disposable cutlery, wet wipes, and many other products, because it is hygienic, cheap, easy to mould into practical shapes, has a variety of properties that are useful in different applications, and recyclable at end of life.

Many types of plastic are safe in contact with food, beverages and medicines. They can be formed into resealable containers, both rigid and flexible, that can be used to protect and contain many different substances.

Plastic is widely used for single use products where hygiene is important, not only for food but also for medical applications like blood bags, inhalers, and syringes.

What about single-use plastics that cannot currently be recycled?

Where you live influences the range of materials that can be recycled because there are 39 different sets of rules across the UK, something the plastics industry and recycling industry would like simplified.

Most rigid plastic packaging can be recycled right across the UK and recycling rates have been improving for over 20 years. Flexible packaging formats are less commonly recycled, although the technology exists to do so and interest in scaling these up is growing. However, if you consider the overall environmental impact of the products packaging protects — which includes energy use, water use, land use and CO2 emissions — there remains a case for using resource efficient single-use plastics, even in a more difficult-to-recycle format. 

In conclusion…

There remains a case for single-use plastic items as they can perform a range of important functions like reducing food waste and cost, improving hygiene, delivering functional benefits, and reducing environmental impact. Food that benefits from plastic packaging, for example, will ultimately last longer on its journey from farm to fridge, keeping costs down because less food spoils. Plastic packaging typically uses far less resources than the products it protects. For example, a 330g steak generates 7.5kg of CO2 on its journey from farm to fridge;[3] the plastic tray protecting it increases shelf life notably and is responsible for just 80g of CO2.[4]

Single use plastic items should be recyclable at their end of life in most instances (i.e. where legislation permits). They should only be replaced by other single use items if the environmental impact of the replacement material is demonstrably lower than that of the original plastics material. Similarly, single use plastic items should only be replaced by reusable or refillable products if the environmental impact of the replacement product and associated system (collecting, cleaning, refilling, redistribution) is demonstrably lower than that of the original single use plastic item.

Where it is difficult or impossible to replace single use plastic items with a credible alternative that performs to the same standard (i.e. plastic content in wet wipes that make them durable enough to use for hygiene purposes), their continued use should be allowed.

Technologies for recycling every type of plastic currently exist. Work is being done around the world to scale this technology up so that it can serve communities on an industrial scale. Single-use plastics will definitely continue to have a role in modern society and everyone who relies upon them should help to ensure as much of the valuable material is recaptured for recycling as possible.

 

Sources

1) PlasticsEurope, Plastics the Facts 2020: https://www.plasticseurope.org/en/resources/market-data

2) Environment Agency, National Packaging Waste Database: https://npwd.environment-agency.gov.uk/Public/PublicSummaryData.aspx (accessed 04.08.2022)

3) Lesschen et al – Greenhouse gas emission profiles of European livestock sectors (2011)

4) Denkstatt – How Packaging Contributes to Food Waste Prevention (2017)

 

Published on 21 May 2019

Reviewed and updated July 2024

Reviewed February 2025

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