Toxic Legacies / Filtering the Truth
The concept of recycling has gained immense popularity as a sustainable approach to waste pollution and is embraced as a potential solution to our escalating environmental crisis. However, not all recycling practices – especially when it comes to plastic – are necessarily environmentally friendly. In many cases, claims to recyclability are merely greenwashing, a marketing strategy used by companies to position themselves as environ- mentally conscious without implementing actual changes in their production practices. My master project aims to investigate the greenwashing behind recycling and how the concept of recycling can tend to justify the production of waste in a consumer-based system.
The concept of recycling has gained immense popularity as a sustainable approach to waste pollution and is embraced as a potential solution to our escalating environmental crisis. However, not all recycling practices – especially when it comes to plastic – are necessarily environmentally friendly. In many cases, claims to recyclability are merely greenwashing, a marketing strategy used by companies to position themselves as environ- mentally conscious without implementing actual changes in their production practices.
My master project aims to investigate the greenwashing behind recycling and how the concept of recycling can tend to justify the production of waste in a consumer-based system.
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
Case Study 4:
Paper Bags
The act of replacing in a
consumer-based society
“
Das größte Problem bei der Abschaffung der Tüte ist,
dass das Shoppen erfunden wurde. […] Beim Shoppen
will man zu einem sogenannten Impulskauf verführt
werden, es geht darum, Wünschen zu begegnen, Wünsche
zu erwecken und zu verspüren. Für den Impulskauf
kann ich mir keine Tasche mitnehmen, die Tüte muss in
der Sekunde des unerwarteten Impulses verfügbar sein.
”
Wolfgang Pauser, Fluter: Müll, 2012
It is estimated that 100 billion to 1 trillion single-use plastic
bags are produced per year worldwide. 45 Shopping bags
used by supermarkets are mostly produced out of high and
low density polyethylene, and are notoriously difficult to recycle.
46 With growing environmental distress, many countries
have dealt with plastic bag concerns by enforcing bans or
fees, resulting in a switch to paper. However, paper also has
its environmental issues. Whilst paper is made from a renewable
resource, it runs the risk of encouraging deforestation if
not sourced sustainably, and the paper-making process requires
tremendous amounts of energy. 47
50
Change language