Plastics - Planning for the Circular Economy

Plastics - the cornerstone of modern technology - come with a host of problems such as single-use, bio-accumulation and disposal of substances of concern. Oakdene Hollins looks at how to align plastics use with the Circular Economy.

Plastics are a cornerstone of modern technology but their undoubted benefits come with a host of problems: largely single-shot use, bio-accumulation and a burden of substances of concern. McKinsey's January 2016 report 'The New Plastics Economy - Rethinking the future of plastics' represents a milestone in unpicking these issues, presenting the scale of the problem and outlining a manifesto for addressing them using Circular Economy principles.

A number of these problems will drive concerted action at a global level and scale. However, other others can be addressed immediately by manufacturers and users of plastics, and are within our domain of expertise: renewables-based and GHG-derived plastics, product dematerialization and substances of concern.

McKinsey's report is likely to drive policy and action amongst governments and global companies. Contact us if you want to explore how to align your use of plastics to the Circular Economy ahead of time.