Rage on plastic garbage brings retailers and manufacturers in a tight spot

A sea turtle tangled in plastic waste, a whale died on 30 pounds of waste in the abdomen, beaches littered with PET bottles and packaging: Such images for anger in the Public and put retailers and producers are increasingly under pressure. For consumers, plastic is the epitome of polluted seas and landscapes. Wholesale distributor and manufacturer profess to have recognized the Problem and deal with it. But do you have enough?

According to estimates by the EU. While the Federal Council relies on voluntary measures by the economy, by attacking Brussels, harder. Disposable dishes, swabs, and other plastic articles are soon banned. The use of drinking cups and food containers made of plastic restricts the EU. The leaves apparently also Swiss retailers not cold. You have now decided to flip certain products from the range, which are on the European list of banned. "In the future, we only have cotton swabs made of paper in the deal," says a Coop spokeswoman on request. Also, Migros responds: "We offer only the swab from certified paper", it is said in the media.

The plastic chopsticks are problematic, because they often end up instead in the trash can in the toilet and in the sewage. According to Coop this will save 10 tonnes of plastic, Migros speaks of 145 million plastic chopsticks. Aldi and Lidl, no longer gave previously been known to sell Disposable plates and other plastic articles from the end of the year in Switzerland.

The economy wants to prevent stricter laws

The Problem of the high plastic consumption will not solve the cotton swabs made of paper alone. The Swiss retailer and manufacturer of stress because of their extensive further measures to plastic reduction. Government-mandated restrictions on industry and trade are still a horror. According to the environmental protection organization Greenpeace, the business lobby in the Background against the new laws in Switzerland. "Retailers and manufacturers to move only as much as necessary to be able to legal improvements," says Yves Zenger from Greenpeace.

The Federal office for the environment (FOEN) assesses the restrictive measures from Brussels. "The EU's proposed ban or the reduction of receivables for certain short-lived disposable products considered by the Federal office for the environment is basically a good idea," said Marco Buletti, Deputy head of division waste and raw materials. The waiver of cotton swabs and disposable tableware made of plastic is welcome, not rich but.

the politicians seem to have realized that their voters will react to plastic waste increasingly sensitive. Contrary to the recommendation of the Federal Council of the national Council in December voted for a Motion that the government should work with the economic measures for the reduction of plastic. The proposal calls for a significant reduction of plastic packaging and disposable plastic. In addition, the research to prevent plastic waste should be supported. The Council of States must still decide on the Motion.

the International see trade and industry is not only confronted with being Forbidden. There are also additional costs threaten. The EU has put together a comprehensive package of measures. Companies that provide Fast-Food packaging or plastic bottles, should bear part of the costs for the waste disposal and awareness-raising campaigns to Finance. Also are planned on certain products, warnings, and educate about environmental risks. Sales will not be.

The companies can no longer ignore the problems around plastic. It is hardly a coincidence that the world's largest food manufacturer Nestlé has declared the theme recently. Company Director Mark Schneider wants to forgo up to 2025 on a non-recyclable plastic packaging. At the presentation of the year on Thursday, the Problem of plastic was present. "We must ensure that we make packaging reusable or recyclable and at the same time the safety of the food," said Schneider. Today, the Multi Vevey VD still uses a lot of disposable plastic.

Greenpeace go to the measures of the economy. "We currently see a lot of marketing measures, but little transparency and little important steps," says spokesman Zenger. "The retailers are starting to celebrate each individual organic vegetables to the public, is freed from plastic. At the same time new Convenience will always come products disposable packaged on the shelf."

plastic consumption is kept in the dark

The fast-food is for the retail trade and the food industry is a strong growth area. On this business you do not want to miss. The shelves in plastic-packaged salads, Sandwiches, and Sushi, and others are lower in the case of Coop, Migros and the disco, therefore, longer and longer. Not to mention your plastic consumption, retail trade and Multinationals such as Nestlé. Instead, they refer rather to individual measures, in which plastic is reduced or replaced.

is So bad the Image of plastic, the Alternatives are not always better. "In countries with a functioning of the waste it is not useful all the plastic to replace products by paper. The LCA may deteriorate," says Marco Buletti from the FOEN. Also paper and bioplastics consume valuable resources.

environmentalists are calling for reusable packaging. In order for this to be possible, trade and a manufacturer of a new logistics building systems, which causes considerable costs. First steps in this direction. Nestlé launches in may have a try with reusable ice Cream containers in New York, London and Paris. Migros has introduced reusable cups in Restaurants and Take-aways.

more Comprehensive projects are not in sight. The plastic need remains, therefore, still high. In 2010, each of the Swiss 125 kilograms of plastic consumed – more recent Figures, the FOEN has not. After the Boom of the fast food in the past few years, it must be expected that the Per capita increased consumption. comment – 20

(Sunday newspaper)

Created: 17.02.2019, 07:29 PM