The narrative around plastic is shifting, fast. Health scares from microplastics seem to be in the news daily. “Forever chemicals”, the devastation of marine life – in the public’s mind, plastic has become the harbinger of death. It’s a very visible, tangible enemy, unlike CO2 emissions and rising global temperatures.
Rockstars on stage at festivals drink water from metal cans, chanting “death to plastic”. Coffee chains incentivise reusable cups (and yet sell them at a premium). And even tech giants and ecommerce goliaths have joined in.
Corporate pledges, like Amazon’s move to paper-based packaging, are becoming more and more common. Plastic, once celebrated as this revolutionary, world-changing material, is now public enemy number one in environmental discussions. But is the goal of cutting plastic from everything even realistic, or sustainable? And if not, what’s the real cost of replacing it?
The problem with replacements: cardboard and paper aren’t perfect
One of the loudest calls in the anti-plastic movement is to replace it with alternatives like paper or cardboard. On the surface, these materials seem like greener choices. Both are biodegradable and renewable. But a deeper look reveals the environmental toll of paper production.
Deforestation is the first symptom. Paper production demands vast amounts of wood, often leading to large-scale habitat destruction. Even if forests are sustainably managed, the demand for paper as a plastic replacement would outpace regrowth. While paper is a renewable resource, it takes time for trees to grow – which limits how fast you can renew it. If you cut down trees for paper faster than they regrow, then you have a problem.
What about alternative fibres, like hemp? Well, it grows quickly and makes excellent fiber-based packaging. But you’d have to clear immense areas for hemp farming to meet demand, redirect large volumes of fresh water – and probably be forced to use plastic in the agriculture process anyway to improve yield and efficiency. Bamboo? Same problems, different fibre. There’s no silver bullet here.
Even if there was some magic plant that grew fast, needed limited resources, and took up less land to grow, processing it would be the next problem. Polluted waterways from paper production are downplayed massively. But the damage is atrocious, even compared to plastic pollution. The pulp and paper industry is one of the largest polluters of freshwater, releasing toxic chemicals, like dioxins and chlorine into the environment.
Cancer rates in workers at pulp, paper and soft paper mills are elevated. People who live near paper mills have a higher mortality rate. Paper production is dirty, deadly work.
Finally, manufacturing paper requires far more energy (400% more energy, to be exact) than producing plastic, especially when compared pound for pound.
As highlighted in our post on Cardboard vs. Plastic Packaging, the environmental damage caused by paper production can rival, or even exceed, that of plastic. Plastic waste in waterways is a serious issue, but the damage caused by paper manufacturing to rivers and ecosystems is casually overlooked in the conversation, because paper seems so benign.
Still, if we could somehow pull the resources together (and not poison ourselves in the process) to shift to paper, could we still live normally?
Could we function without plastic?
The short answer: no. The proponents of an all-out ban on plastics likely know this. Plastic has become deeply embedded in modern life, supporting industries and technologies that would collapse without it. Banning plastic would create chaos in global supply chains, escalate food waste, and make modern medicine significantly less effective.
Where plastic can’t be removed
While certain industries are working to reduce their reliance on plastics, others simply cannot function without it.
Medicine and hospitals
Plastic is irreplaceable in healthcare. Syringes, IV bags, sterile packaging, and PPE – it all relies on plastic. Without plastic, infection control would suffer, and many medical procedures would become far more expensive, or even impossible.
Food industry
Plastic’s role in preserving food and reducing waste is unmatched. Lightweight, flexible, and able to create tight seals, it prevents spoilage, contamination, and the massive emissions caused by wasted food. It’s also an important part of farming, used in grow bags and polytunnels, and the logistics of food distribution.
Critical infrastructure
The construction, transport, and renewable energy sectors all rely on plastics. Polythene sheeting is present in large parts of modern construction, from vapour barriers to the concrete curing process. Polythene film components are found in all types of manufacturing, and are being researched as alternative substrates for solar power production.
Technology and electronics
From circuit boards to cables, plastics provide the lightweight, insulating, and durable materials that modern tech depends on. Replacing plastic would require significant sacrifices in safety, functionality, and efficiency. And these are trade-offs that people are unlikely to accept.
Of course, the big one is plastic packaging – and specifically, single-use plastics. This makes up the bulk of the problem.
The bigger picture: plastic as part of a sustainable future
The conversation around plastic needs to shift from demonisation to smarter use. Plastics are not inherently “bad” – it’s how we use and dispose of them that creates problems.
We need to focus on reuse and recycle programmes, and have a plan for end-of-life plastics. They’re full of energy, and it can now be extracted more cleanly than ever before. And we need to educate people, particularly people in power, on these processes.
We’ve said it before, but the burden cannot be solely on the consumer trying to live their life well. Individuals are not to blame for rampant overconsumption and plastic pollution, yet we’re constantly asking them to pick up the tab. And even then, we know full well that recycling and sorting are hopeless endeavours at the scale we’re talking about.
A balanced approach is key
The push to remove plastic from everything might sound like a goal – but it’s neither feasible nor sustainable. Replacing plastic with alternatives like paper, aluminium cans, and glass could shift the environmental burden in some edge cases; but in most, it just moves the problem around.
Instead, the focus should be on using plastic more responsibly: improving recycling, reducing single-use applications, and embracing circular economy principles.
At the end of the day, we can’t sustain modern life without plastic. What we can do, however, is reimagine how we use and manage it, to protect our planet and leave it in good health for future generations.
And industry can make a start right now, by using recycled polythene wherever possible.
Recycled polythene specialists
Talk to the polythene experts at NPF Packaging, and design your own custom-blended recycled polythene packaging, with any level of recycled content. Enquire online to get a quote now, or call us on 01773 820415 to find out more about our manufacturing and design process.
