Fighting the plastic wave – what businesses can do

Fighting the plastic wave – what businesses can do

One Modern World is a Dubai based start-up providing sustainable solutions for corporate organisations with a focus on reducing single use plastic. This includes reusable options as well as materials which are biodegradable or compostable according to international standards.

Some of these new renewable materials to replace single use packaging are mushrooms, seaweed or plant fibre from agricultural waste. For packaging it is particularly important to be compostable or biodegradable, ideally in a natural environment (vs industrial composting facility) to fit into the circular economy. As part of the circular economy, any packaging that can't be eliminated or reused must be collected, recycled or composted after use with the aim to prevent waste.

In addition to the “compostability”, another sustainability aspect to consider when choosing a renewable material is if this competes with a food source. If something can be made from waste this helps prevent building up landfill as well as carbon emissions and also reduces soil erosion and other environmental stressors through agriculture. This illustrates why a life cycle approach is essential when evaluating these materials to fully assess their impact on the environment.