Single Use Plastics and Companies with Solutions
The House of Representatives of the Republic of the Philippines enacted a measure banning single-use plastics on its final reading on July 28, 2021. The vote was 190 to nil, and it marked major (though late) progress by the country in establishing rules that permitted, or required, consumers to purchase more responsibly and sustainably.
Single-use plastics are abundant in a country like the Philippines, which has a large rural population. Consider a typical city's wet market, where the only inexpensive way for fish vendors to package seafood for on-the-go clients is in micron-thin polyethylene bags. Even the wealthier areas are not immune to single-use plastics- – garbage bags are anything but reusable or biodegradable. Personally, I’ve tried to reuse plastic bags as often as I can, but it’s almost impossible to avoid adding another one to the inventory especially when you buy from local vendors. Some major cities in the country have tried to help themselves – because their dumpsters simply can’t keep up anymore – and have implemented plastic bans. More often, these bans occur on a schedule, for example, one city I know of mandates supermarkets to use paper packaging only on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It’s hard to fully transition any town or city to one that completely bans single-use plastics.To my pleasant surprise, the world is already seeing biodegradable plastic advocates coming to the mainstream. The shift to sustainable consumption has gained steam in the last decade. The United Kingdom, for example, is targeting to ban single-use plastics for good come 2022 and will be imposing a huge plastic packaging tax. I was thankful to find several private companies which primarily focus on manufacturing biodegradable plastics – and I’m happy to share five of those below, each from different parts of the world.
Terravive
CEO: Julianna Keeling
Headquarters: Richmond, VA, United States
Year of Establishment: 2015
How it Started: The Founder and CEO, Julianna Keeling, studied Chemistry & Environmental Studies at Washington & Lee University. There, she focused her research on a specific set of polymers that function a similar way to polyethylene – which is the component of the regular plastics we know. Julianna achieved academic success, being awarded the Earle Bates Prize in Environmental Citizenship Award. Her drive towards sustainable solutions led her to establish Terravive in 2015. Julianna has her research published in several academic journals, and she holds multiple patents on plant-based materials and finished products.
Key Products: Straws, Cutlery, Cups & Lids, Takeout Containers, Plates& Bowls, Bags, and Films. These are home compostable and ocean degradable products built to perform like plastic, but break down like plants – cleanly breaking down in freshwater, seawater, landfills, industrial composters, or even at home.
Ecoware India
CEO: Rhea Mazumdar Singhal
Headquarters: New Delhi, India
Year of Establishment: 2010
How it Started: Ecoware India started when a young entrepreneur-minded woman named Rhea Mazumdar Singhal left a Sales & Marketing job at the Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, and decided to disrupt the then-primitive biodegradable plastic industry. At the time, there were no restrictions in her country on single-use plastics – no bans, not even much awareness campaigns. Over a decade later, Rhea is now one of the global thought leaders on sustainability, having been awarded the Nari Shakti Puraskar (the highest civilian honor a woman could receive) by the President of India.
Key Products: Bowls, Bowls & Lid, Boxes, Cups, Cutlery, Plates, Trays, and Taarey. They offer free shipping for an online order of 1000 rupees (~13 USD) or more.
Removing Single Use Plastics For Good
There are more companies that deserve to be mentioned here, but I thought it might be helpful to mention companies from different parts of the globe. The biodegradable plastic movement is here. Right now, it may be more of a rarity than being a common commodity – close to being a niche market – but time will come that we will forget we ever used single-use, non-biodegradable plastics in our day-to-day.
The city I live in doesn’t yet ban single-use plastics. Whenever I buy apples and oranges from a fruit stall near our home, I gain at least two pieces of single-use plastics. I do use eco-bags and have a bunch of them sitting on a box, but I don’t have the discipline nor self-control to buy fruits only when I have an eco-bag with me. Also, when I forget to cook rice and it’s almost dinner time, I buy takeout rice, conveniently offered by small-time eateries – these lumps of cooked white rice, I can’t use my eco-bag for, so should I be always bringing around my own container?
The point here is, the consumer can’t be trusted to always keep his end of the bargain. You have to create a system or a situation for him where he has no other choice but compliance. That is why these systemic changes are important – they turn what were once voluntary, well-meaning actions into mandatory, environment-saving solutions.