“Plastic recycling is heresy” (Rosalie Mann, founder of No More Plastic)

LA TRIBUNE DIMANCHE – You think that plastic recycling is a myth. Why?

ROSALIE MANN – More than a legend, plastic recycling is a heresy. It is exactly as if we were putting a poison back into circulation. Recycled plastic contains 1.24 times more toxic substances than virgin plastic and releases more microparticles and nanoparticles; recycling plastic therefore does not solve the problem of toxins, which are still present. When we try to transform plastic into something else – for example bottles into clothing – it is called downcycling. And it is even more vicious, because it claims to be eco-responsible, with an impression of doing good, of acting immediately, right away… Plastic recycling is a scourge well wrapped in marketing in order to deceive the general public. It is essential to stop making people believe that it is virtuous, especially since we tend to value and put on a pedestal those who invent solutions to recycle plastic. Some companies, which until now were rather virtuous in their process, fall into the trap, precisely because they are convinced that they are acting for the planet, for the ocean. It is time for companies and the general public to be warned. It is very simple: plastic recycling does not exist.

Battle over “made in France” oil

Plastic was one of the first reasons that made citizens pay attention to what they throw into the sea. Is awareness real?

The greatest danger to the ocean is the microparticles and nanoparticles of plastic that pollute it. There is an awakening of consciences, certainly, but in thirty years, all the beaches in the world have been contaminated. Thirty years is nothing on a global scale. It is alarming to note that in three decades we have reached such levels of pollution. The general public imagines that plastic pollution starts with waste. That is why its recycling works so well! However, pollution starts with the production of materials. It is an invisible pollution and a pollution that impacts women more than men. The latter are more in contact with it – through cosmetics in particular – plastic having been presented to them as an element of emancipation, capable of saving them time. A material used in the manufacture of children’s toys, plastic is a real atomic bomb. So, yes, it has allowed an acceleration, but the bill is high, because a sick society is costly to the economy.

What should be the role of major brands? Of manufacturers?

Major brands have a role, a power of influence, particularly through the vector of marketing and advertising. They are expected to change the situation. It is not a question of going back, but of doing things differently. As for manufacturers, they often act at their own request…

In cosmetics, many brands invest heavily in R&D. Can this sector help to raise awareness?

There are not enough alternatives yet. Bio-based plastics cannot adapt to creams. Glass faces cost issues, but it also has bad press, while this industry has made enormous progress. Clearly, the impact of plastic microparticles and nanoparticles is not included in the equation. Cosmetic brands do a lot of research and development on the formulation of their creams, with the aim of ensuring that they do not pollute the ocean, but they do not take into account packaging and its harmfulness. Of the 460 million tons of plastic produced per year in the world, 37% concerns packaging alone. It is essential that brands – and more broadly companies – ask themselves the question of packaging. Because, even if we talk about the end of the use of plastic, we must know that forecasts are based on an increase in its production which would reach 600 million tons per year by 2030. We must realize that the level of production is linked to demand. So a lot of all this is linked to demand. In addition, beyond cosmetics, in terms of public health, plastic is a real scourge. Since the 1990s, we have noticed an increase in the number of cancers. However, since the 1990s-2000s, plastic has been used everywhere.

What is the principle of “endurability”?

The principle of endurability is a concept that was developed by Hamilton Mann, my husband. The idea is to predict the model of society of tomorrow, a model that, because it takes into account ecological issues, no longer has anything in common with those of the industrialized societies that we have known up to now. We know that we cannot go back. The challenge is therefore not to last, but to endure, that is to say to take into account environmental constraints in the definition of a new model. We defend this principle of endurability in universities.

Where are the innovations to replace plastic?

It’s all there, but we don’t use it. Fighting plastic is her fight. Rosalie Mann alerts us to invisible pollution, a real scourge for the ocean and our health. And says loud and clear that our reprocessing solutions are just an illusion.