Paper VS Plastic; Recycling Rate

Every industry is responsible for monitoring its waste management system, including the packaging industry. Regarding proper waste management, recycling is an issue of prime concern. You must be intrigued about –‘ Is paper easier to recycle than plastic’? So, let’s have a glance at plastic and paper recycling rates. You might be amazed that paper has a recycling rate of 68%, whereas plastic recycling rate is only 9% globally. What causes this much difference in the rate of recycling? Is it dependent on consumers who fail to make plastic waste reach recycling mills, or is it a shortcoming of the plastic recycling industry itself?

Reasons for low Global Plastic Recycling Rate

There are numerous reasons for increasing plastic pollution and low recyclability. Let’s see how plastic reaches its fate. Here are some of the reasons for the low recycling rate of plastic.

1) Ease of Differentiation

Ease of differentiation is one of the leading factors for the slow plastic recycling rate. It's hard to identify recyclable plastic from a pile of plastic waste. Plastic products lack clear distinction, and sorting them into recyclable and non-recyclable single-use plastics (SUP) is challenging. On the other hand, paper is either made from virgin pulp fiber or recycled fiber- in any case, the fiber is recyclable.

2) Human Resource

Due to the difficulty in separating recyclable and non-recyclable plastic, more human labour is required at this step. Plastic is collected and sorted by humans. There is no machinery for this task. Once sorted, the plastic product enters the recycling process.

3) Economic Aspects

The economic aspect is also relevant in this regard. Due to their low monetary value, Junk dealers do not pick any forms of multi-layered plastics and SUPs. It hampers the cyclic flow of plastic. Plastic is sold at a much lower cost than paper owing to easy manufacturing. Plastic recycling is a low-profitable business, resulting in fewer plastic recycling mills. So, next time you buy plastic, you should know it might end up in your home.

4) Poor waste management

If the waste management system improves, non-biodegradable will not reach vulnerable places. But waste management system has many loopholes. It is evident; Plastic waste is present on the top of Mount Everest and deep down in the oceans. Due to poor waste management, non-biodegradable plastic ends up in landfills, streets, and the sea, threatening the ecosystem.

Data regarding plastic waste

Around 3.5 million tons of plastic waste are generated in India every year. It is so disheartening to know that every individual consumes 11 kg of plastic annually. This releases a lot of non-biodegradable waste into the environment. Plastindia Foundation says that India consumed 16.5 million tons of plastic during 2017-18.

According to FICCI data, 43% of plastic is used in the packaging industry in India. Think of the harm it causes to the environment. The solution lies in other alternatives like sustainable packaging to choose from over plastics.

Solution for Plastic Pollution

Plastic is cheap; it can be easily manufactured and used in various ways very quickly. Due to its flexible nature and low cost, it has a prominent spot in the market. It's important to remember; that every time you choose low-price plastic, the environment has to pay a huge cost for your choices. So, try to switch to sustainable products instead of plastic.

No matter how hard you try to tackle plastic waste from your end, a large amount of plastic will still end up in the streets, water bodies, and oceans. For instance, 66% of bottled water bottles never get recycled leading to plastic pollution. Owing to its low manufacturing cost, many people prefer plastic over sustainability. Due to low economic profitability, there is a lack of recycling mills to meet the demand. Owing to plastic's low manufacturing cost, many people prefer plastic over sustainability. But you can choose an eco-friendly and biodegradable bag over plastics anytime.