What you should know about single-use plastic disposable tableware products

A fast-paced economy and a high-consumption lifestyle significantly contributed to the development of single-use plastics.

Scott: Hey, Sofia.

Sofia: Hey Scott. I see you are drinking from an actual mug.

Scott: I did not have time to go to the coffee shop, so our engineer kindly made me a cup of coffee. I’ve been travelling for 24 hours and have not slept, so please forgive me. This is…

Sofia: This is going to go great.

Scott: I have an iced coffee addiction and a lousy spending problem. Nothing better for my mental health than to wake up in the morning, go to my favourite coffee shop, and buy a delicious cup of cold brew coffee.

The barista asks, “Do you want room for milk or cream?” No. Just fill that little plastic cup with as much coffee and ice as it fits so I can slurp it down and start my day. My coffee habit isn’t the smartest thing for me financially, but it’s also pretty bad for the environment. I go through a lot of single-use plastic coffee cups, and even when I recycle them, I feel a little guilty that I didn’t just bring a reusable cup or thermos, but how bad is my behaviour really for the environment and what is the full extent of the crisis that I’m contributing to?

I am Scott Nover, and I host Quit Plastic's Sustainable Podcast. In this episode, we’re exploring how innovations—even simple ones—might change our world. One topic is single-use plastics.

Sofia, introduce yourself to us.

Sofia: Hello, Quartz Obsession listeners. I am Sofia Lotto Persio, an editor at Quartz who focuses on newsletters and news content.

Scott: And single-use plastic.

Sofia: Occasionally.

Scott: You are our expert on single-use plastic, at least for this...

Sofia: For this podcast, I am Quartz’s resident expert on single-use plastics.

Scott: Though you are not disposable in any way or recyclable.

Sofia: I think the word you were looking for is irreplaceable.

Scott: Right, reusable because we rely on you for many different things.

Sofia: That’s true.

Scott: So Sofia, I have detailed my extensive reliance on plastic coffee cups, which fuel my addiction, my habits, my impulses, my compulsions. What is your guilty habit or guilty pleasure when it comes to the wasteful use of single-use plastic?

Sofia: I think the one that irks me, but I do it sometimes, is when I’m forced into buying a bottle of plastic because it contains some form of carbonated liquid that I suddenly feel myself in need of or want of. This just happened the other day.

And that’s a problem that isn’t fixable right now because most places don’t allow you to just put your reusable bottle of water underneath one of those machines where they dispense carbonated drinks. So that’s the guilty pleasure. But I would like everyone to know that I own three reusable bottles, of which I think only one was bought. The others were freebies accumulated through marketing events of companies that want you to remember their names and two or maybe three reusable coffee cups. One of them is made of bamboo and was a parting gift from a previous workplace, which I still have. And it says, “I love you a latte,” which is great because that’s usually what I order when I get coffee.

Scott: Plastic has become a massive part of everyday life, society, and the economy. Can you tell us at a high level why we use plastic for almost everything?

Why do we use plastic for everything?

Sofia: Well, plastic is an excellent kind of material. It’s durable. It’s flexible in that it can be moulded into various shapes and forms. Much of it is heat resistant to the degrees we might use for regular consumption. And most of all—oh, the other important thing is that it’s lightweight, so it’s easy to carry, not just for consumers when they go grocery shopping, but also for transporting the goods in which plastic is packaged.

Finally, it’s extremely, extremely durable, which is both a pro and a con. Maybe the biggest con of using plastic when it comes to single-use is that you’re putting products that sometimes are meant to be consumed within a couple of minutes in containers that take years, if not centuries, to decompose.

Scott: Right, here’s that imbalance between how long you use it and the lifespan of that plastic bottle, straw, or whatever it might be.

Sofia: Yeah. That makes single-use plastics a particularly controversial use of a material that is cheap to develop and highly durable in its lifecycle.

Scott: And we use plastic for all sorts of things that are more durable than maybe a, you know, plastic water bottle. Is there any interesting story about how single-use plastics have developed, or any turning points where our dependence on single-use plastic exploded?

What boosted our consumption of plastics?

Sofia: So when you look at how plastic developed in the last century and a half, we see that, first of all, plastic was created to replace other kinds of material that had become difficult to obtain either because of rules or just natural selection. Essentially, a lot of the plastic before the invention of synthetic plastics came from animals, like shells and horn—materials that could be as durable and as malleable—started to become more of a commonplace material in the second half of the 20th century, so in the post-war years when several elements came together to create this boost in consumption. And you had, on one hand, chemical companies that had been looking for this new material, and they were finding some promising candidates…

Scott: Right.

Sofia: On the other hand, you had oil companies that were also increasing their production, and they were looking for something to do with some of the oil and natural gas waste products. And so, in the chemical and fossil fuel companies in the post-war years, we see that plastic was initially developed to replace materials that had become rare or expensive.

Scott: Mm-hmm.

Sofia: Start to replace materials like glass, like paper, that didn’t have those kinds of problems, and particularly towards the turn of the millennium, we see a massive uptake in the production of single-use plastics made for packaging, made for bottles—the PET bottle was invented in 1973—so it’s a relatively recent phenomenon. We also associate those materials with takeaway food, whether cutlery, the plate, or the container itself.

Scott: Is there anything to blame for this? Because when you say that plastic consumption exploded in the 1990s, I think of the soda wars between Coke and Pepsi, which seems like a very consumer-driven demand problem. Is there anything we can pinpoint?

Sofia: Specifically, when you look at Western countries, I think the service industries have become much more developed and prominent. And single-use plastic is convenient because it’s lightweight. After all, it’s cheap, and so that adds to its element of convenience that fuels a lifestyle that is based on being out of the house very often, not bringing things with you from home, travelling light, and just trying to find any possible way to be as efficient as possible in our consumption, but also making spur of the moment decisions that require you to take whatever you can get instead of planning to bring something with you from home. So, I would say that a fast-paced economy and lifestyle have contributed a lot to developing single-use plastics because it’s a convenient way to support that kind of spur-of-the-moment consumption.

Scott: Right. And I imagine that plastic was cheaper not only for the suppliers but also for consumers of those goods. So Sofia, let’s back up. What is plastic? What are we talking about, chemically, when we talk about plastic?

What is plastic made of chemically?

Sofia: “Plastics” is a word that can be applied to any material that can be formed and moulded under heat and pressure. So, even though we immediately think of oil-based plastic, it’s a broader term that we now commonly use to refer to what are technically called synthetic plastics because they come from laboratory materials. However, materials like tortoise shells, horns, amber, rubber, and shellac can all be considered plastic because they can be moulded into something else when put under immense heat and pressure.

Scott: So the advent of plastic could be good for the environment in some senses, just by reducing our reliance on certain animal products like tortoise shells and rhinoceros horns, but ushered in use that’s actively harmful to the environment. Is that fair?

Sofia: Yes. The lore around the creation of the plastic bag says that its inventor wanted to find a solution to the use of paper bags derived from cutting trees.

And so, the initial development of plastic was probably well-intended from a sustainability perspective. Also, considering what they knew at the time, at the beginning of the 20th century, about the use of fossil fuels was not what we know now. So, the fact is that it evolved. We’re still only learning about properties, like the discovery of microplastics, which are relatively recent, and their effect on human health is very little understood because it’s something that we’ve only realized is happening in the past few decades. So it’s almost a cautionary tale about innovation that sometimes the cure is worse than the initial problem.

Scott: Right, for sure. This brings us to the elephant in the room, um, or the big garbage patch in the room, the ocean. Why is single-use plastic terrible for the environment?

What is the problem with single-use plastic?

Sofia: When you look at what happens to plastic at the end of its life, we have very few options. So one option is the plastic ends up in the landfill. The second option is plastic gets recycled, and the third option is plastic ends up dispersed in the natural environment, and that’s where you’ve got the environmental damage of plastic, which has, you know, affected our oceans, our fresh waterways, and also, of course, land in various parts of the world.

That happens because of a failure of the previous two steps. Both the failure from a producer side of things where, you know, there’s been a longstanding disinterest in figuring out what happens to the product once it’s off the shelves and in a consumer’s home. And that’s slowly changing now. Then, while a solution can be improved, recycling cannot necessarily capture all the plastic being produced.

There’s also a human element in there. And by human, I mean singular individual element: some people just throw away the rubbish wherever they want and not where it’s supposed to go.

Scott: Right.

Sofia: So there’s a collection of factors there at play, but what the result is that a lot of plastic, especially single-use plastics, because it’s the one that you have with you, and then you finish your bottle, you throw it away, you finish your coffee cup, and that is down to a failure of disposing of your own waste appropriately. Some of that plastic ends up slowly decomposing, but because it takes so long to decompose in the environment formally, what happens is that over a long space of time, plastic decays, and it breaks up into these tiny particles called microplastics because they’re so small, they end up infiltrating whichever space they’re in, whether it’s the waterways or, or the land.

And specifically, when they occur in water, they get ingested by animals that we eat and some of the water we drink. That’s not explicitly about single-use plastic, but some microplastics are directly placed in our products. For instance, facial scrub, which is crazy because facial scrub can be done naturally by just utilising some sugar and honey and some other things that Jonathan Van Ness in Queer Eye has explained once, and I don’t remember the tutorial. That’s just added to the products that we use. We put on our face. And then, obviously, it’s washed off into the sewage system and the waterways, etc. So we have a lot to be responsible for.

Scott: We talk a lot about recycling, and I want to get to recycling, but is there anything about the production and manufacturing of plastic products that we should be thinking about regarding the effect of making all this stuff on the environment?

Production and manufacturing of plastic products

Sofia: Yeah, I mean, the two topics are very closely linked because how plastics are made determines how easy it’s going to be to recycle. And that’s quite a big topic, but so, on the one hand, you’ve got synthetic plastics, which come, you know, in various kinds of acronyms, but one of the most common is PET, which stands for polyethene… I’m not gonna be able to pronounce the second part!

Scott: Give me your best shot.

Sofia: Tarif-ta-LA-ti? Tarif-ta-lati.

Scott: I think that’s a Greek god.

Sofia: The god of pronunciation.

Scott: OK, I looked it up, it’s pronounced polyethylene terephthalate.

Sofia: So the PET plastic is one of the ones that we’re most familiar with because it’s the one that most plastic bottles are made of. And then we also have polystyrene, which is the kind of plastic that is used for most food packaging,

Scott: Polystyrene. I know that one from Radiohead, “Fake Plastic Trees.” But the question was, is there a production site problem with making plastic and its effect on the environment?

Sofia: Yes.

Scott: In addition to the “too much plastic in landfills and the ocean” problem.

Plastic recycling

Sofia: Yes. What goes into the making of a plastic product also determines the level of its recyclability at the end of its lifecycle. So those two need to be discussed hand in hand. But when we look at the production side of all the types of plastics that you have out there, when it comes to single-use plastics, you primarily use PET plastic and polystyrene. When you take your plastic bottle—now I… the one I bought the other day had, I think, four different kinds of labels on its actual label, indicating four different types of plastics that go into this tiny object.

One is for the lid, one is for the label itself, and one is for the body of the bottle. When all of these plastics are present in just one product, you will need to separate all of these elements to be able to recycle it. Different kinds of plastics often do not melt properly and do not create a reusable material.

So, separating those components is one of the biggest challenges facing the recycling process and, therefore, needs to happen at the source. And that kind of standardization would be one of the best innovations the industry can develop right now. And there are some elements of cooperation, especially between two of the significant plastic producers in the world, which we won’t name because I don’t wanna get sued. But we’re talking Coca-Cola and Pepsi. They are collaborating on, um, some things related to their plastic bottles, but at least one of them appears to perceive the plastic bottle as an integral part of their brand identity and, therefore, would seem resistant to making any substantial changes that would threaten the uniqueness of the product.

So, that’s the kind of challenge we’re facing. It’s not just a matter of material; it’s not just a matter of the economics of putting it all together. It’s also a matter of the public perception of what these bottles would look like if they were all standardized.

Scott: What would they look like if they were all standardized?

Sofia: You know, one of the things that they could do without is the label, for instance. Both of those two major producers have made bottles for the Asian markets, where the brand name is inscribed on the plastic body of the bottle. Therefore, you don’t need the label. One thing that people don’t know about labels is that the ink with which the label is printed does influence the ultimate recyclability of that label and that part of plastic, so sometimes the devil is in the details.

Scott: Right, when you say that standardization can help us solve our plastic recycling problem, what are you talking about? Like what can we standardize exactly to make things better?

What can we standardize to make plastic products more recyclable?

Sofia: Well, the material in which the bottles are produced makes standardization better because once they are collected, they can all be easily mixed in a recycling facility. Currently, sorting out the different plastics that end up in facilities is one of the most challenging parts of the process because they don’t mix.

Scott: So if we standardize the type of plastic we use, that’s one way that we can help this problem. Is there anything else that we can standardize?

Sofia: What I find fascinating about the plastic bottle standardization issue is that many of these products already come in aluminium cans, which are 100% recyclable and often 100% recycled. So, I don’t really see why plastic bottles persist.

Scott: Right. So with aluminium cans, if you’re buying, let’s say, Diet Coke in aluminium cans, you’re only dealing with one type of metal that is regularly recyclable and don’t have to worry about all the different discrepancies between plastic you can recycle and what you can’t recycle and what shape and size… There’s a lot more uniformity. Is that what you’re saying?

Sofia: Yeah. Sometimes, there is a layer of plastic within it.

Scott: Plastic is everywhere.

Sofia: But by and large, the actual body of the aluminium can is pretty easy to process. However, aluminium is just a different kind of material altogether. Um…

Scott: Oh my god. I have a delivery.

Sofia: Oh, lovely!

Scott: Wow.

Eric (sound engineer): From one of your admirers!

Scott: Oh my god. (sound of opening a paper bag) I’ve got a single-use coffee cup. A turkey bacon sandwich. Thank you, Rachel. And a lemon pound cake! You know that I haven’t eaten in 12 hours.

Sofia: So, describe this coffee cup for our listeners.

Scott: So we have a Venti coffee cup, which will offend your Italian sensibilities. Let’s see what number of plastic it is… It’s a 5. “5 PP.” I don’t know what that means.

Sofia: Yeah, that’s part of the problem, right?

Scott: Right.

Sofia: The code “5PP” belongs to polypropylene, commonly used for yoghurt and ketchup bottles, and is recyclable. The next life of polypropylene can be clothing fibres, food containers, and speed humps.

Scott: Speed humps!

Sofia: Speed humps.

Scott: This is confusing, as a person who uses a lot of single-use plastic doesn’t really like that he uses a lot of single-use plastic, but he tries to do his best, tries to recycle, and often feels that he can’t figure it out. Why has recycling been pushed onto the consumer like this as our responsibility?

Who is responsible for the plastic pollution problem?

Sofia: I think we’ve taken it for granted that once the product is in our hands, it becomes our problem. And that holds some truth to the extent that you need to bring it to its next phase of life physically, and that will never change. A consumer element will always be involved in whichever solution we find for the recycling system.

But where it ends up makes a huge difference because if you knew that you could take that cup back to your nearest Starbucks, you’d know immediately what to do once you’re done with it.

Scott: Right.

Sofia: Instead, what you’re gonna do, most likely, is at best, you’re going to find a plastic-specific bin in your immediate surroundings, and at worst, you’re just gonna see the regular bin, and you’re just gonna chuck it in there.

Scott: Right.

Sofia: Because you don’t have any other options, how much easier would it be to bring it to your nearest Starbucks location? And obviously, you’re in a city, so that seems easy to you. That could be a bit trickier for people who do not live within a walkable radius. But some coffee stores are trialling a system of the sort.

Scott: Coming up, we’ll talk about why alternatives to plastic aren’t enough. We’ve got to throw away the whole damn system.

But first, a quick break.

OK, we’re back with Quartz’s Sofia Lotto Persio. Sofia, do you think consumers can make a dent in this problem, or should we focus on the producers and companies that use and depend on plastic products?

Should plastic pollution producers be held accountable?

Sofia: The consumer will always have a role to play because, ultimately, that cup or that bottle ends up in their hands, and they get to decide what comes next. But right now, the system is not built to make it easy for people to determine what comes next. But I think that you know, the statistics about recycling are so low because there is still a lack of awareness of what to do next when you want to dispose of something.

Scott: Right.

Sofia: One of the common misconceptions, which I am guilty of sometimes but that I find super confusing, is when a product is contaminated with food elements, whether it’s oils or coffee residues, they cannot just go into a bin. They need to be washed first, and that adds that extra element. And when you’re at home, you can do it, but you’re gonna go to the bathroom now, wash that cup, and then throw it away?

Scott: Right.

Sofia: You know, bringing it back to the Starbucks store will be helpful because they get to wash it and do whatever they want.

Scott: Yeah. Your idea of bringing the plastic cup back to āStarbucks reminds me of what a few different states here in the United States do, where you can bring in bottles and trade them in for a few cents per bottle. Would that be a good way to at least get plastic goods back into the hands of companies that might be able to recycle them more effectively?

Sofia: Yeah, that would definitely be one way to help consumers figure out what to do next. The monetary incentive can be a bit controversial at first because it sounds like a burden on the consumer once again. But studies also show that monetary incentive is crucial in making that change of habit happen.

Scott: Right.

Sofia: In Scotland right now, that is being debated. Producers like Coca-Cola are very much in favour of it. Still, it remains controversial because it’s seen as giving an advantage to big stores compared to small ones, where maybe they wouldn’t be able to have that kind of machinery and offer that kind of service.

Sometimes, you have to take it back exactly to the store where you bought it from, which is obviously a huge obstacle to the initiative's success. Other times, you can just take it wherever, which you know is the way to make this more convenient for people, even when you’re asking them for something not super convenient.

Scott: This gets me back to the initial question of why we are still using so much plastic and why plastic is so interwoven in the fabric of our society, our lives, and our economy. Should we be thinking more about transitioning to more responsible materials? In recent years, especially in the US, plastic straws have been pushed away.

While many companies use paper straws to sidestep that problem, some, including Starbucks, use biodegradable plastic-esque straws. I wonder if we should be reframing the conversation around better substitutes for plastic rather than figuring out how to deal with plastic as it is.

Sofia: Well, there are two ways you can go about this, but the message that people in the environmental community would like to send across is that there are various stages to ending our addiction to plastic. Traditionally, the slogan was “Reduce, reuse, recycle.” But actually, it’s been modernized to include a step before, which is something like “Prevent, reduce, reuse, recycle.” So first of all, don’t make something that will be damaging.

Scott: Right.

Sofia: And then when, uh, that something is produced, then reduce the number of units that you buy, and then once you’ve bought it, then use it as often as possible. And once you’ve used it as often as possible, try to put it somewhere where it can be recycled. When it comes to the development of alternative plastic materials like bio-based plastics and plastics that are based on compostable materials, however, some of these plastics are not compostable in the sense that we think of composting, whether in a bin in a garden or simply in a hole in the ground. They need to be composted in specific facilities…

Scott: Uh-huh.

Sofia: …for those purposes, and therefore also need to be identified as such. And right now, there’s no accurate regulation around those materials so that they could create more harm than good. Looking back, it is also what happened to the development of synthetic plastics. They were trying to replace something, but the situation ended up worse. Some people are calling for regulating bio-based plastics so that it’s very clear what they’re made of, how they should be recycled, etc.

And then there’s another kind of substitute for plastic, based on seaweed, an excellent organic material that can be used for various purposes. It’s great for your nutrition, but it can also be worked into the kind of film-like substance some synthetic plastics take. Finally, there is another way to go about it when you want to look specifically at the end of the plastic lifecycle and its difficulties in decomposing in a natural environment, which is to tackle the polymer at its production point and change it so that it assumes a different kind of chemical material structure…

Scott: Right.

Sofia: …which allows it to decompose in nature. This is something that a UK-based company that comes out of a research institution has developed this additive to the plastic production process, and they claim that the resulting material can decompose in the natural environment within two years.

Scott: Sofia, last season, you introduced our listeners to something called mushroom leather. This alternative form of leather smells and feels just like leather, but it is made out of mushrooms, not animal products. What is mushroom leather of plastics that might get us to a better place sustainably?

What are potential substitutes for plastics?

Sofia: I would like to say it’s the Sugarcane Bagasse. When I researched that topic, it gave me the same sense of hope as the sugarcane bagasse pulp development. If you want to learn more about it, return to the episode.

But I think sugarcane bagasse has the potential to replace plastic because it’s available in such significant quantities. It’s a cheap material and can be just as malleable as plastic. It is durable. And I think seaweed can be that substitute when it comes to single-use products. When it comes to different kinds of uses of plastics, especially in the healthcare sector, that is probably more tricky.

I don’t know if we will ever get to a point where we can live in a plastic-free society. But if we need to keep a particular element of plastic in production, then, you know, it would be best if it was bio-based in some shape or form.

Scott: Right. Some change is necessary to reduce our dependence on oil and other fossil fuels, and the current system that we have now just isn’t gonna cut it as we tackle climate change at a high level.

Sofia: Yes.

Scott: A simple yes!

Sofia: We need to think about the system holistically, and plastic is just one part of a bigger supply chain and modes of production that contribute to climate change. Some people argue that because plastic was developed as a possible use of waste production from oil and gas, it helps clean up that part of the industry.

But of course, it doesn’t, because you have to think about things from when they first start being created to the end of their lifecycle. And so any use of oil, we need to reduce, phase out, and eventually, you know, never touch again.

Scott: Yeah.

Sofia: And we need to keep it in the ground. So, the amount of plastic in the world right now is enough. We don’t need to make any more. We can find ways to use what we have so that no more oil or gas can be used to make plastics. Perhaps it’s important to point out that whereas, in my mind, most plastic is made from oil, it’s the byproduct of natural gas production, ethylene, which is the main component of most plastics.

So it goes both ways, and I point that out because even though most oil production is set to disappear, hopefully, as we move towards a net-zero future, natural gas will probably be the last fossil fuel we need to tackle. The link between plastic production and fossil fuel production is still very strong and will remain something to consider.

It’s not something that’s gonna happen probably within the next century, frankly. You also have to consider plastic solutions that are commercially available. Still, the scale at which they are commercially available is a fraction of the size of the plastics industry, which has had 150 years to develop and become the behemoth it is now.

And trust me, they’re not going to accept and open and embrace the new changes that come. Some more progressive plastic manufacturers are looking into that future, but there is tremendous resistance. Like, they’re not just there thinking, let’s change it. And one of the things they say most often is that, especially when you talk about food packaging, there are all sorts of rules and regulations that, you know, rightly require specific standards to be met by food packaging.

Scott: Sure.

Sofia: That is also a barrier that those innovations need to overcome. And I think that’s possible, but there needs to be the will, the capital behind this, and a regulatory environment that helps those innovations come to market.

Scott: Right. We need some widespread industry collaboration to solve the plastic problem. Do you think that is likely without regulation or the threat of regulation to ensure that we are dealing with plastic and investing in new types of alternative plastics to solve this problem?

The role of regulation in solving the plastic problem

Sofia: “Collaboration” in a system that has always prized competition can be seen as a dirty word, and I think adjusting to a new mode of doing things will become a more commonplace solution. But it is happening. I believe, slowly, we are seeing that, at least at face value, some of the big names that have profited the most from plastic production in the past century do see the value in being sustainable and finding solutions to the environmental problems they helped create. So, at least on paper, we know many announcements in those goodwill gestures to collaborate.

Because this topic can be quite technical, it’s difficult to poke holes in those arguments and avoid getting swept away…

Scott: Right.

Sofia: … by the greenwashing that might hide behind some of those statements.

Scott: Is there anything that Coca-Cola or PepsiCo could do tomorrow to drastically improve our plastic problem?

Sofia: I mean, they could stop.

Scott: Stop using it entirely. Just go cans.

Sofia: I really don’t see why we can’t just drink from cans.

Scott: Yeah.

Sofia: At one point, you also have to wonder why you went down this innovation route: "We’ll make all of our bottles 100% from recycled PET.” They say that they do, but it’s not the case because we just said that only one part of a bottle is made of PET, and the rest is a different kind of plastic that goes in the lid. The lid problem is highly underestimated in terms of the plastic bottle issue.

One of the misconceptions I’ve heard is that because plastic is lighter than other materials like glass, a plastic bottle's carbon footprint is smaller than that of a glass bottle. When you use the parameters that the company is using, it’s true because it’s light, and therefore, you can transport more bottles in the same space compared to glass, etc. But then you have to think about where this bottle came from. How far did it travel from the factory to the other factory and finally to the store?

Some statements are made that can easily use data to mislead you into thinking that the choices that they’re making are reasonable and reasoned, and based on sustainable principles. It’s not just one step that creates that carbon footprint; it’s the entire production process. And ultimately, whenever you’re using something that, at some point in time, has required fossil fuels in its production, its carbon footprint is already skyrocketing compared to something that doesn’t.

Scott: So what happens when you try to recycle a plastic cup that has some residue of soda or beer… it’s contaminated in some way that doesn’t make it eligible to be recycled.

Sofia: Well, that depends on the facility and its capacities. But I think there is a very high chance that it’s just not be recycled in the end. The machinery used in recycling facilities is quite sensitive, and things can get broken quickly if they’re not appropriately sorted. And so, in most facilities, you won’t risk breaking down the whole process over one piece of waste. You’re just gonna throw it out.

How this is handled is one of the problems in the recycling process. It’s getting a little bit smarter, I think, thanks to innovation. Some companies now use robots to sort through waste, and these robots are becoming more innovative. Hopefully, those kinds of flaws in the system can be fixed. But there is also an element of awareness that needs to come in because if you could just quickly know what to do with this piece of plastic, then you would know how to dispose of it, whether it needs to be washed or not, whether it needs to be washed or dry, or whether you can chuck it away. What level of oil residue is OK? I mostly rinse them under really hot water, and I hope that that’s the trick.

Scott: That’s more than I do. I’m wondering how much plastic we are using as consumers.

Sofia: You can find different kinds of statistics, but one of the ballpark figures used is that we produce 520,000 tons of plastic a day, and specifically for plastic bottles, the ballpark figure is that every year, there are 500 billion PET bottles sold. So overall, the dismal rate of recycling for plastic globally is 9%. However, according to the US government, in 2018, 29.1% of PET bottles were recycled. So that’s a pretty promising statistic, and it shows that whatever infrastructure is there already, at least for one of these products, is working.

It’s a start. It’s not ideal. Two-thirds of all PET bottles end up in landfills or the environment. But it shows that there is some form of infrastructure that you can build on. You’re not starting from zero.

Scott: OK. I want to end with a lightning round because I bet many of us have the same questions after hearing about this.

Scott: Are you ready?

Sofia: I’m ready. Shoot!

Scott: All right. Should I stop recycling?

Sofia: No.

Scott: That’s a good answer. Should I stop buying single-use plastic water bottles?

Sofia: Yes, whenever possible. Unless you’re dying of thirst, then, you know, drink it from whatever container it comes from, as long as it’s clean and safe.

Scott: That’s good health advice. What should I buy instead of plastic water bottles?

Sofia: Bring with you a reusable bottle.

Scott: Now, if I’ve seen some water in different kinds of vessels that maybe you wouldn’t normally associate. I’m thinking of aluminium cans and boxed water or paper cartons. Are those better alternatives?

Sofia: Yes, especially if you can dispose of it quickly. I don’t know enough about the boxed water… it’s more of a question mark.

Scott: There’s a lot of very trendy, fancy water bottles. In my household alone, we have a Hydro Flask that my wife adores and a Stanley Cup. Should we subscribe to these fads in schmancy water bottles if it means that we reduce our reliance on single-use plastic water bottles?

Sofia: Stick to one, preferably. Find your favourites.

Scott: Only one!? They do different things!

Sofia: They’re supposed to contain water and bring it to your mouth!

Scott: Some have straws… some don’t, some fit in a cup holder…, and some are…

Sofia: If you can have something, stainless steel is probably the easiest to clean…

Scott: OK.

Sofia: … and probably last the longest. So think about the durability of what you buy.

Scott: Am I absolved of guilt for buying all these iced coffees on the go? Well,

Sofia: Unlike the Catholic church in the Middle Ages, I am not in the business of absolutions. However, I think that the occasional sin can be forgiven when you want to get yourself a drink and you’re in a rush.

But if getting coffee is part of your routine, whether it’s your morning commute to work or your lunch break routine, do consider getting a reusable container. It will at least make you feel like you are doing whatever you can to tackle a problem that is bigger than yourself, but at least you’re not actively contributing to it because you will have to play a part in whatever solution we find to the current problem.

Scott: Are you saying I’ll have to answer for my sins?

Sofia: Again, not the Catholic church.

Scott: Cardinal Sofia.

Sofia: Not baptized. I’m going straight to hell after this.

Scott: I’m Jewish, so it’s much worse, so don’t worry.

Sofia: Well, I’ll see you somewhere in the afterlife! (laughs)

Scott: Sofia, this was wonderful. Thank you.

Sofia: Yeah, good luck with the recovery.