Single-use plastics and discovering the true value of things | Emmanuel Auberger | TEDxHECParis
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0:05 - 0:06The problem of single-use plastic
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0:06 - 0:10has reached the headlines
everywhere in the world in 2018. -
0:11 - 0:15We have all seen these campaigns
and images from WWF. -
0:15 - 0:19We have all experienced
open-air landfills of plastic. -
0:19 - 0:24Plastic packaging poses
environmental issues and health concerns -
0:24 - 0:26that need to be addressed.
-
0:28 - 0:32NGOs part of Break Free From Plastic
have identified who to blame. -
0:34 - 0:37These corporations pass on the blame.
-
0:37 - 0:39They claim to have always
supported recycling -
0:39 - 0:42and that lack of education
is the problem. -
0:42 - 0:47I think we are all to blame
for our single-use plastic addiction. -
0:47 - 0:50Brands are offering what consumers want:
-
0:50 - 0:53more convenience, cheaper prices,
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0:53 - 0:55no bother of future consequences.
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0:57 - 1:00Pushed by all this sudden attention,
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1:00 - 1:05the plastic industry is coming up
with its alternative. -
1:05 - 1:08First, let's recycle more.
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1:08 - 1:11Do you think that your plastic package
that you put in the right bin -
1:11 - 1:13will be recycled?
-
1:14 - 1:19I'm so sorry to tell you that,
unlike glass, metals, or paper, -
1:19 - 1:23just 5% of plastic has a second life,
-
1:23 - 1:28that is to say, is recycled
to make another usable material, -
1:28 - 1:32and even a smaller percentage
to actually remake a plastic package -
1:32 - 1:34in a closed loop.
-
1:34 - 1:35The reason?
-
1:38 - 1:41Plastic is not easy to recycle,
-
1:41 - 1:44and it is not economically viable,
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1:44 - 1:46because plastic is very cheap.
-
1:47 - 1:50The only package that has some potential
to become another bottle -
1:50 - 1:53is this type of transparent PET.
-
1:53 - 1:57Today, they claim it can contain
50% recycled material, -
1:57 - 2:01and they target 100% by 2025.
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2:02 - 2:03Okay?
-
2:03 - 2:04Great.
-
2:04 - 2:07But what took so long
for this industry to start moving? -
2:07 - 2:10And who will pay
the extra cost of the bottle? -
2:12 - 2:16The plastic industry is also coming up
with another great idea: -
2:16 - 2:20Let's make plastic
bio-sourced and compostable. -
2:20 - 2:24They're offering
this type of dish and cup. -
2:24 - 2:26When you read the small
print of this dish, -
2:26 - 2:29you find out it's 94% cellulose
-
2:29 - 2:31and 6% mysterious plastic components.
-
2:32 - 2:38This cup is made of a plastic
called PLA, out of corn starch. -
2:39 - 2:41You think, "Great idea.
-
2:41 - 2:45I can throw away my packaging
with the rest of my biowaste." -
2:46 - 2:47Watch out.
-
2:47 - 2:50This is only viable
for industrial compost. -
2:50 - 2:54It will not decompose
in your garden compost or in the landfill. -
2:55 - 2:56"Well," you think,
-
2:56 - 2:59"at least this package,
put in the right bin, -
2:59 - 3:01will be recycled or composted."
-
3:02 - 3:03Watch out.
-
3:03 - 3:06PLA contaminates
the plastic recycling system, -
3:06 - 3:10and recyclers absolutely do not want
to see it among other types of plastic. -
3:12 - 3:15Okay, at least this plastic
is not made of fossil fuel. -
3:16 - 3:17Watch out again.
-
3:18 - 3:21Many environmental organizations
consider this as worse. -
3:21 - 3:24If we need agricultural
resources for packaging, -
3:24 - 3:27this is only going
to accelerate deforestation. -
3:27 - 3:29So you get the point.
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3:29 - 3:33This is not such a good idea
at this time, and for containers. -
3:33 - 3:34Maybe in the future.
-
3:34 - 3:38And for bags and films,
compostable plastic is a viable option. -
3:39 - 3:43Whatever the current limits,
all innovations are welcome. -
3:46 - 3:49Waste management
refers to the three "Rs": -
3:49 - 3:52Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
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3:53 - 3:56Because plastic is a powerful industry,
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3:56 - 3:59and recycling a booming
business opportunity, -
3:59 - 4:03a lot of private and public money
is put into developing recycling. -
4:04 - 4:07The two other "Rs" of waste management,
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4:07 - 4:08Reduce and Reuse,
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4:08 - 4:11attract far less attention and money.
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4:11 - 4:13So let's explore reduce.
-
4:14 - 4:16There are many great
initiatives to talk about. -
4:16 - 4:18I just selected three for tonight.
-
4:19 - 4:24The city of Capannori, in Tuscany,
pioneered 20 years ago -
4:24 - 4:29a large education program
for its citizens to reduce their waste, -
4:29 - 4:30with amazing results:
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4:30 - 4:3538% less waste in just 10 years
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4:35 - 4:37and recycling over 80% of it.
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4:37 - 4:39Inspired by this success,
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4:39 - 4:42hundreds of cities
in the world are following. -
4:42 - 4:44Another good example of reduce:
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4:44 - 4:48Biocoop, the largest
bio food chain in France, -
4:48 - 4:54decided in 2016
to stop selling bottled water -
4:55 - 4:59because it is, and I quote,
"an ecological aberration." -
5:00 - 5:04They rightly consider that in France,
water from the tap is safe enough -
5:04 - 5:06or easy to filter.
-
5:06 - 5:09Biocoop pushes further
and very recently announced -
5:09 - 5:13that they will open the first
zero-waste supermarket in Paris. -
5:14 - 5:17Some activists are even ready to fight.
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5:17 - 5:19They launch "plastic attacks,"
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5:19 - 5:24leaving all unnecessary packaging
in the supermarkets, -
5:24 - 5:26raising awareness among shoppers,
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5:26 - 5:30and pushing stores
and suppliers towards reduce. -
5:31 - 5:36Reduce is by definition almost free,
so do your own little plastic attacks. -
5:36 - 5:38Choose the least packaged products.
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5:38 - 5:40Buy big capacities,
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5:40 - 5:43non-single-serve units
of yogurt, for instance. -
5:43 - 5:48Choose the slightly damaged box of pasta
that most consumers won't take. -
5:48 - 5:52Our obsession with zero defects
and single-serve -
5:52 - 5:55also has a huge environmental impact.
-
5:57 - 5:58Now, Reuse,
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5:58 - 6:01a real step towards a circular economy.
-
6:03 - 6:07When I talk about reusable packaging,
mainly returnable glass bottles, -
6:07 - 6:11everybody remembers using them
and how great it was, -
6:11 - 6:14from the elders who remember the milkman
-
6:14 - 6:16to the travelers who have seen countries
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6:16 - 6:18that still reuse glass bottles
on a big scale. -
6:19 - 6:22Also, new initiatives are on their way -
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6:23 - 6:25supermarkets with plastic-free aisles:
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6:25 - 6:30Loop, the first online supermarket
with exclusively returnable packaging. -
6:30 - 6:32And yes, it's a start,
-
6:32 - 6:34only in a few places,
-
6:34 - 6:35and we have to be careful;
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6:35 - 6:40packaging reuse only makes sense
in a local circular economy scheme. -
6:41 - 6:43But even with imperfections
at the beginning, -
6:43 - 6:45we need to support these innovations.
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6:47 - 6:52Very recently, the city
of Berkeley in California - -
6:52 - 6:54another nice campus -
-
6:55 - 7:00voted a ban on all disposable
food and beverage containers. -
7:00 - 7:04Very clearly, this is the end
of the disposable cup, -
7:04 - 7:07replaced by a glass
and a stainless-steel straw. -
7:07 - 7:11Your Big Mac will come
on a reusable plate. -
7:11 - 7:15And yes, even McDonald's spoke
in support of the Berkeley initiative. -
7:18 - 7:20During this eight-minute talk,
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7:20 - 7:25over eight million bottles of plastic
have been used in the world. -
7:25 - 7:3185% of them will not be collected
and will take 400 years to disappear. -
7:32 - 7:36We must put the right balance
between the three Rs. -
7:36 - 7:39Recycling of plastic
has clear limitations. -
7:39 - 7:42Reduce and reuse are
far more promising solutions. -
7:43 - 7:46Governments need to regulate plastic.
-
7:46 - 7:51The WWF has recently published
a series of recommendations, -
7:51 - 7:56in particular, that plastic prices
must include the real cost -
7:56 - 7:59for the society to manage its end of life.
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7:59 - 8:02And this true price of plastic
is very important -
8:02 - 8:04if we want other options to emerge.
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8:04 - 8:06As consumers,
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8:07 - 8:11we all need to be ready
to trade off some convenience and price -
8:11 - 8:14for our health and our environment.
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8:14 - 8:15Are you ready?
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8:15 - 8:16(Cheering)
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8:16 - 8:18Thank you.
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8:18 - 8:20(Applause)
- Title:
- Single-use plastics and discovering the true value of things | Emmanuel Auberger | TEDxHECParis
- Description:
-
Recycling gets a lot of hype, but does it really work? Packaging expert Emmanuel Auberger explores why recycling hasn't led to less pollution and how reduce and reuse may be the best way to combat waste. Emmanuel, formerly the CEO of Verallia, wants to revolutionize consumer shopping habits and bring back returnable packaging. Having studied at HEC Paris between 1991 and 1994, Emmanuel has had a successful career of over twenty years with the likes of Renault and Saint-Gobain. He is an expert on packaging and has extensively studied the dangers of plastic contamination in food. An avid traveler, ten years into his career, Emmanuel took a year-long sabbatical to backpack around the world for nine months with his wife.
Outraged by the environmental impact of single-use and over-packaging, Emmanuel started experimenting with ways to reduce his family's waste with the support of his children. His eco-consciousness led him to this journey to bring back the milkman’s bottle!
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDxTalks
- Duration:
- 08:23