How Accreditation Drives Sustainable Practices in Plastic Consumption?

Plastic has become one of the most widely used materials in various industries due to its low cost, versatility, and ease of use. It offers numerous benefits for companies, consumers, and society in general, such as the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (as it is lightweight and easy to transport), the extension of the shelf life of fresh food and beverages, the reduction of waste and wasteful use of resources, and the production of economical and effective medical devices and supplies.

However, plastic can have serious environmental impacts considering its impermeability and the time it takes to biodegrade and decompose. According to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), more than 280 million tons of short-lived plastic products end up in the trash each year. In total, 46% of plastic waste is deposited in landfills, while 22% is improperly managed and becomes litter. Thus, when plastic is discarded, it accumulates in the environment, generating levels of contamination that suffocate marine fauna, deteriorate the soil, poison groundwater, and can cause serious consequences for human health.

Considering the impacts of plastic pollution, as well as the pressures to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, governments are implementing policies to reduce or eliminate the use of single-use plastics. For example, in Colombia, measures have included bans on the production and marketing of single-use plastics with exceptions for recycled raw material content or compliance with biodegradability and/or composting requirements under natural environmental conditions.  Likewise, countries such as the United Kingdom, some states in the United States, China, and Kenya, among others, are implementing measures to encourage the recycling and subsequent use of plastic waste. Similarly, countries are driving the adoption of circularity models, which is important considering that, according to the World Economic Forum (2020), compared with a business-as-usual scenario, the circular economy can reduce the annual volume of plastics entering our oceans by 80%. It can also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25%, generate savings of $200 billion per year, and create 700,000 additional jobs by 2040.

In this context, accreditation plays a crucial role since it is the tool through which compliance with the requirements can be verified. Accredited testing laboratories and conformity assessment bodies are required to verify compliance and perform the necessary tests to ensure that plastics on the market are environmentally friendly and manufactured under production chains with a circularity approach. In this sense, various certification schemes have emerged to address this need, providing transparency and assurance to consumers and businesses alike. These certifications not only validate the recycled content of plastic products but also trace their journey from source to end product. Some examples of this type of certification are The Recycled Plastics Traceability Certification or EuCertPlast Certification. Likewise, some standards address different characteristics of plastics across laboratory testing.

Finally, it is important to highlight that quality infrastructure and certified organizations provide trust to all plastics value chain actors for a continuous increase in the use of recycled and environmentally friendly plastics. Accreditation plays a vital role in ensuring that recycling practices are effective and aligned with international quality and sustainability standards. By encouraging the adoption of certifications, consumer confidence can be enhanced and more responsible waste management promoted, which means that the challenges of plastic pollution can be easier to overcome through the strength of accredited standards.

You can read the full article published by IAF outlook from here