Responsibility
We are coming to the end of this series on greenwashing, and I hope it has helped you feel better equipped when you’re out shopping! The last thing I want to cover before we wrap up is an important one – the area of responsibility.
Responsibility for our planet and it’s resources is something we all need to take on board. One of the big ways we can do this is to vote with our time, money and words. Firstly, to hold companies and governments responsible for their poor practices either by boycotting or petitioning. Then secondly, to invest our resources in companies and products that are themselves investing in the environment.
Avoiding greenwashing is another great way to take responsibility for our planet!
Accepting responsibility
One of the main ways companies’ greenwash us is by providing just enough information to look like they are being responsible while, in reality, putting all the responsibility on the consumer. And this is what I want to focus on. While governments and big corporations need to be improving on their environmental impact and sustainability practices, in the meantime we need to be doing what we can to be responsible on the consumer end. To accept or reject the responsibility they are often trying dump on us.
Before we can decide, “do we want to be responsible for this product and these resources?” we need to consider if we are able to be responsible.
Response-able
Each of us live in different countries, and cities, with different local services and amenities available to us. We need to figure out, according to our personal situation, what we can take responsibility for and what we cannot. For example, my local waste disposal (provided by my local council here in Glasgow, Scotland) doesn’t recycle Tetra Pak. So, although they can be recycled in other areas – I personally am unable to recycle them.
Something may well be compostable, recyclable, biodegradable etc. but if you can’t get it where it needs to go then none of that is going to happen. To take responsibility for a product, or resource, you need to ask yourself if you are able to get it where it needs to go. If not, then it will likely end up wasted and polluting the planet in landfill.
Compost-able
Just because something says it is compostable doesn’t mean it will naturally, and safely, decompose in any given environment. And don’t let greenwashing tell you otherwise.
Organic waste for example needs microorganisms, even bugs and worms, to break it down effectively. Two of the main conditions in which this can happen are aerobic (with oxygen) and anaerobic (without oxygen). Microorganisms that thrive in aerobic conditions breakdown organic waste more efficiently. In the decomposition process they give off water, heat, and carbon dioxide; as well as life giving nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and magnesium (Ross, 2018).
Anaerobic conditions, like those found in landfills, produce methane instead of carbon dioxide, due to the lack of oxygen. Both are greenhouse gases (put simply: they trap heat in the earth’s atmosphere) however methane is around 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide so when it is released into our atmosphere it is no laughing matter. Organic matter also takes a lot longer to breakdown under landfill conditions. For example, an apple will decompose in compost in around a month, whereas in landfill it will take 2 months or more.
Many of us can compost at home and if your local authority collects food and garden waste then they are likely to use either Anaerobic Digestion (syphons of gas produced to generate electricity and compost is used on farms) or In-vessel Composting (high heat composting where resulting compost is used in parks, farms and gardens).
44% of our waste globally is food or green matter (World Bank, 2018). All of this is why getting our organic waste into a compost instead of landfill is so much better for the environment.
Your compost options
Find out if you have access to composting
Check which kinds of organic material can be composted in it
Make sure items that say “compostable” can be put into your compost. (non-toxic paper and cardboard are safe, but other things such as plastic like film or bags often require industrial conditions to breakdown properly)
If in doubt look for this symbol and make sure the word “home” is included.
Biodegrad-able
When it comes to greenwashing the term “biodegradable” is so widely used and so incredibly unhelpful.
The first thing to realise is biodegradable is not the same thing as compostable. Composting is a biodegrading process but not all biodegrading is composting.
Biodegradable essentially means that an item can be broken down into increasingly smaller pieces by bacteria, fungi or microbes to be reabsorbed by the surrounding environment, ideally without causing any pollution.
Most materials will break down over time and be absorbed back into the environment. The sustainability questions we need to be asking of biodegradables are:
What is it made of and what is it going to break down into?
How long will it take to break down and will it pollute the environment?
Where can I dispose of it so it will break down safely?
Sadly, this information is not spelled out for us on most packaging, and it can be tricky to figure out where is best to dispose of biodegradable items. Having the term “biodegradable” on packaging doesn’t mean anything unless there is more information or certification to explain it, and more, importantly how to dispose of it.
If something is labelled as, “biodegradable” you will need to ask, “how does this biodegrade?” before you can choose to take responsibility for it. As far as I can tell the only biodegradable item that I can dispose of correctly is food waste container liners with my food waste. Other than that, most waste disposal sites do not accept any biodegradable films, bags, or “plastics” and they definitely can not be put into your recycling.
Recycle-able
When it comes to recycling the first thing you should check is what your local waste service does and doesn’t accept. Maybe even print it out (or write it) and stick it to your recycling bins. Don’t be tempted to wish-cycle.
Wish-cycling is when you put something in the recycling bin in the hope that it will magically be accepted and recycled. This often causes more harm as it can contaminate the rest of the recycling, resulting with it all being sent to landfill instead.
Recycling Top Tips
Rinse and clean items as best as you can
Plastic comes in many different forms. Find out which ones you are able to recycle locally.
Aluminium foil. Do the scrunch test. If it stays scrunch up it is foil. If it doesn’t it is metallised plastic. Also try save up smaller pieces until you can make a ball of foil about the size of a tennis ball. This is more likely to be picked up be the machine and recycled.
Paper. Do the rip test. Look out for glitter and film which means it’s got plastic and/or metal in it. This cannot be recycled as paper.
Another option is to look for local recycling centres where you can drop off items that you can’t recycle at home. Recycle Now is a great resource for all of the above!
Ideally, we want to be reducing our recycled discards as it takes energy and resources to recycle them into new products. Using our recycling well, but reducing our reliance on it, is our best course of action at present. At least until we have better developed (and accessible) recycling systems that are closed loop processes, preventing waste, and the use of virgin resources.
You are able!
Unfortunately so many of the recyclable, compostable, and biodegradable solutions that are being advertised are clearly not sustainable. I wish I could paint a better picture for you but until eco-solutions like these become truly accessible, and transparent, we will need to be super careful before buying into them.
On a positive note - here is an example of a company that is thinking outside the greenwashing box and putting the environment first. Saltwater Brewery in Florida has innovated in a way that takes responsibility for the end life of their product and it’s impact on the environment!
Remember, you have a choice (and hopefully it is a clearer one now) about what you want to take responsibility for - what resources, products or companies you want to invest in. I know it is tough and complicated but I believe in you! You got this. You are able.
Get out there and use your power wisely!