The Challenges of 'What Would You Have Us Do?' - The Plastic Credits Problem

The Challenges of What Would You Have Us Do? - The Plastic Credits Problem

As the world grapples with the plastic pollution crisis, a novel solution has emerged plastic credits. These credits aim to incentivize companies to burn plastic waste in kilns, promising a reduction in emissions and a step towards sustainability. However, this approach raises more questions than answers.

The Conundrum of Plastic Credits

In the face of overwhelming plastic waste, what would you have us do? Some argue that co-processing – burning plastic waste in kilns – is a necessary evil, reducing emissions and providing a temporary solution. Others claim it's a mismanagement of waste that poses as a waste management system, failing to address the root issue reducing production.

The Hidden Dangers of Air Pollution

Air quality monitors around the Chip Mong Insee kiln and a baseline location away from industry and roads showed higher levels of PM2.5 – fine particles that can penetrate the lungs – at the baseline site, likely due to seasonal crop burning. However, these monitors cannot detect the most harmful pollutants caused by burning plastic, and testing for them is both expensive and not widely available.

Beyond Simplistic Emissions Calculations

Co-processing is often described as reducing emissions by displacing coal, but some experts consider that calculation simplistic. Emissions from burning coal and plastic are roughly equal, but any comparison must consider the full lifecycle of both materials – including production processes for plastic and transportation emissions if coal is imported.

A False Choice Co-Processing or Waste Reduction

For Neil Tangri, a senior fellow at the Center for Environmental Public Policy at UC Berkeley's Goldman School, co-processing presents a false binary. In his view, it's mismanagement of waste that poses as a waste management system while failing to address the real issue reducing production. The question remains what would you have us do with plastic waste otherwise?

The Challenges Ahead

Cambodia has one of the world's highest levels of plastic along its coastlines, and waste including plastic is regularly burned openly. Negotiations last year to reach the world's first agreement on plastic pollution ended without a deal. Plastic waste is expected to triple by 2060, with less than a fifth recycled.

Finding a Path Forward

As we navigate this complex issue, it's essential to consider the full implications of our actions. Burning plastic waste in kilns may reduce emissions, but what are the long-term consequences for air quality and public health? How can we balance the need for sustainability with the imperative to reduce production?

In an ideal world, we would have none of that single-use plastics, nor legacy waste. Until then, my question is always what would you have us do with it otherwise?

This article aims to provide a balanced perspective on the plastic credits problem, exploring the complexities and challenges ahead. By considering different viewpoints and implications, we can work towards finding a solution that addresses the root issue – reducing production – while also mitigating the environmental and health impacts of plastic waste.

Keywords Plastic credits, co-processing, air quality, PM2.5, emissions, coal calculations, false binary, waste management, sustainability.

Edward Lance Arellano Lorilla

CEO / Co-Founder

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