Good morning!
This is the 17th edition of Strategy Management and Sustainability newsletters as a part of the Strategic Management course UC3M.
After reading this newsletter you will be able to know more about the plastic that at this very moment is circulating in the oceans of the world. The newsletter will be divided into four parts:
Background to the problem
A company case
How the future looks
Recommendation and further research
This newsletter is presented and written by: Gonzalo Uzquiano Diez, Isabel Pardo de Santayana de Pablo, Sheirlyn Romina Steiner and Lisa Ivarsson.
Today's newsletter is about 1600 words and takes about 8 minutes to read.
Read and Enjoy!
Plastic invading the ocean
In the world of s1ustainability, the issue of plastic is a trending topic today, but we think and strongly believe that it is necessary to give it more visibility and raise awareness. In general, plastic generates several problems in the environment, but in this article we are going to look at the impact it has specifically on the oceans.
Have you ever thought about the effect of throwing a piece of plastic into the sea?
Source: The Guardian.
It is high time to be concerned about life underwater and the impact of throwing that piece of plastic into the water (or into land, being the ocean an endpoint), both for the animals that live in the ocean and for the environment that surrounds us all and that must be cared for in order to have a better future.
Plastic production has been growing exponentially in recent years and the main problem we are seeing is the movement of plastic around the world. Plastics have a very long estimated life, but not only that, but many of them end up becoming microplastics that end up in practically every corner of the earth, islands, coasts... Approximately 8 million plastics enter the ocean every year. These large quantities of plastics are and can have devastating effects, which include the following:
The toxic composition of plastics is the main problem affecting different forms of life in the world, from fish to humans. A large number of aquatic species and birds have been affected by the plastic, which can cause injury or even death. Other victims are humans themselves, as the toxins are also ingested by them. In other cases, it could affect the aquatic logistics system, as large quantities can hinder movement. In turn, tourism may also be affected.
We will now look at examples of companies committed to solving such problems, as well as the problem from a long-term point of view.
Want to know more about how the plastic ends up in the oceans?
Check this Video!
What do the companies do about this?
One of the keys to change the world into a better place is to seek for solutions where people only see problems. Several entrepreneurs have come up with creative ideas to battle plastic pollution in the oceans. This not only decreases plastic generation, it also helps to make society more conscious about plastic pollution at the same time as it keeps the economy running. Creative ideas can become strong business projects that help to make a difference in the world and help individuals to bring out the best in them. There are a several companies that were born with the aim to reduce plastic waste by either recycling plastics from the oceans or raising money to retrieve it from the ocean. In this section we will go over two that are in the B Certified B Corp
Let's start with Ecoalf (https://ecoalf.com/en/ ), a Spanish company that was founded in 2009 by Javier Goyeneche. He created a “truly sustainable fashion brand”. To do so, he believed the best way was to stop using nature's resources indiscriminately, to guarantee the needs of future generations. Their goal is to create a new product using recycled materials such as plastic bottles or fishing nets. These new products had to be matched with best quality products from non-recycled materials. Their slogan is “because there is no planet B”. The company has received several awards and recognitions for their work.
Another great example of a company that is greatly engaged with reducing ocean plastics is 4ocean (https://www.4ocean.com/pages/about). It was founded with the idea that “business can be a force of good and that the single actions of individual people, collectively, have the power to change the world”. Their business has two main branches. The first is to recover harmful marine debris and retrieve it from the oceans and the latter is to stop plastic pollution at its source by educating people. They do this by informing customers that for each purchase a pound of plastic pollution will be pulled out from the ocean. Since 2017 they have managed to recover more than 18 million pounds of trash from the ocean. They operate all over the world, especially in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean.
These two companies are great examples of how to see a solution for a global problem. However they are not the only ones, here is an interesting article form Business Insider that talks about more companies that help reduce plastics in the ocean:
Future of plastic pollution in the ocean
What is our current situation, and what are we doing to provide solutions? As mentioned, plastic pollution is a global problem, and there is public desire and political will to solve it.
One of the most relevant strategies worldwide is the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the United Nations General Assembly and intended as a "blueprint for achieving a better and more sustainable future for all". The set of 17 interrelated global goals aims to be achieved by 2030 and, in particular, one of them focuses on "Life below water". This goal is SDG 14 and aims to "Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and warm marine resources for sustainable development" with ten specific targets.
Source: The Global Goals.
Find out more on the official SDG website.
While this is a great foundation and a much-needed step, it is unfortunately not enough. According to the 2020 report on progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, current efforts are not meeting the need to protect the resource. The change also has to come from consumers and the private sector. Businesses need to look for long-term, environmentally friendly solutions to plastic pollution. Consumer interest is there, which will drive sales but will demand more transparency too.
In our plastic-filled world, avoiding plastic can be a challenge. Another joint solution is banning plastic or single-use plastic, forcing companies to adapt. With so many aspects of everyday life linked to plastic, what alternatives do companies have after these bans go into effect?
Alternatives to plastic for businesses
Businesses can free themselves from dependence on plastic with a variety of plastic alternatives for everyday items. These alternatives generally fall into one of three categories: reusable items, biodegradable materials or substitute materials.
These are some of the most exciting innovations in plastic substitution:
Plant Based Plastics - also known as Bioplastics are made from a variety of sources such as corn, which is broken down into PLA, or polylactic acid.
Mushroom Root - Ecovative Design gather agricultural waste, mix it with the mycelium in moulds and then the packaging quite literally grows
Seaweed Water Bubbles - Edible (and by default, biodegradable) water bubble made of seaweed created by the UK startup Ooho. It’s an innovative alternative solution to the classic plastic bottles and to mitigate container contamination.
Continue reading the article: 13 Plastic Packaging Alternatives
Companies will need to demonstrate that they are taking a responsible approach. It is only a matter of time before their competitors start using one of these significant developments and gain differentiation in the marketplace.
Video Time!
How will we end this problem?
QUIZ Time!
Check your plastic footprint here:
https://www.omnicalculator.com/ecology/plastic-footprint
My little plastic footprint
Available for Apple and Android
The apps work by dividing your “plastic diet” into six areas of your home; bathroom, kitchen, travel, leisure, household, and garden. In each of these you can find a quiz where you learn about everything that contains plastic and also 100 tips to reduce your own plastic footprint. The measurement of this app is by a Plastic Mass Index, PMI, and it's based on the weight and size of each item. The app wants to help you to reduce your PMI and have a “plastic diet” where 0 is the greatest and 100 is the most plastic use.
You can read more about the app and download it via this link:
https://www.plasticsoupfoundation.org/en/what-we-do/health/my-little-plastic-footprint/
Thank you so much for reading, have a nice week!
https://www.condorferries.co.uk/plastic-in-the-ocean-statistics
https://www.plasticsoupfoundation.org/en/what-we-do/health/my-little-plastic-footprint/
https://www.omnicalculator.com/ecology/plastic-footprint
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/plastic-pollution
https://chinadialogueocean.net/14200-how-does-plastic-pollution-affect-the-ocean/
https://theoceancleanup.com/faq/what-are-the-long-term-effects-of-plastic-pollution-in-the-oceans/
https://www.thestrategydistillery.com/news/13-plastic-alternatives/