LOCAL: When walking into a grocery store in California, sachets aren’t seen as much as they are in developing countries; however, that doesn’t mean single-use plastic isn’t an issue. There’s plastic from small snack packaging, plastic bottles, and more. So even though the issue is not necessarily small packets of plastic, the issues are still present. The article I chose to highlight locally is in regards to California’s single-use bag ban. It was initially put on hold during the pandemic for fear of spreading the virus but has returned. This article is essential to know because it highlights the ease of holding yourself accountable to bring in reusable bags. Chances are people the items in your grocery cart aren’t all going to be recycled, so taking the small step to stop single-use bags being thrown away can go a long way.
NATIONAL: An article published in 2017 found that the Nestle, Unilever, P&G were the worst offenders for plastic pollution in the Philippines because of the massive amount of sachets their companies distribute to countries such as the Philippines. The reason this is a national issue to take into account is because companies such as P&G were established and operate within the US. So even if sachets are not necessarily a major part of the US company, change can start within the US. With that being said, a recent article published in 2021 states that brands such as P&G has joined the RecyClass initiative that aims to make plastic packaging circular. It has also started research regarding consumer insights on purchase cycles in relation to environmental impact in cities such as New York and Paris. One major highlight is a new reusable aluminum bottle is now available across many stores in Europe. With all that being said, the biggest question still remains – when will these efforts reach countries that are most impacted by single-use plastic such as developing countries?
INTERNATIONAL: Take-make-and-disposal model that is at the core of sachet economies are causing the build up of wastes in coastal and marine environments. In 2015 alone, single-use packets accounted for 47% of plastic waste globally. This article takes a look at how economies can move from linear to circular models.