25 YEARS ANNIVERSARY 22 PETplanet Insider Vol. 25 No. 05/24 www.petpla.net 25 YEARS ANNIVERSARY Chris DeArmitt: At the moment we are making choices and policies proven to massively increase materials use, waste, GHG, fossil fuel use and total impact and all because we have been intentionally misled. We need to stop trusting NGOs who make bold, false claims without real evidence. They tell us that plastics don’t degrade, which is false. They say there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean but that has been debunked at least three times. They say that we eat a credit card of plastic a week when the best scientific study found that is wrong and it would take over 20,000 years to do that. The main problem is not the attack on plastics because it is not affecting plastic sales which grow around 3-4% a year, just like metal, glass, paper, concrete and other common materials. The problem is that the attacks on plastic distract us from actually helping the environment. Plastics make up under 1% of materials we use and are the least harmful choice in over 90% of applications according to life cycle studies. As long as we obsess over the 1% and ignore the >99% of materials that increase harm 90% of the time, we will not only fail to make progress, but we actively increase harm by taxing and banning our greenest choice. PETplanet: What does it do to you when, for example, multinational brands suddenly engage in supposed greenwashing, jump on the bandwagon of plastic bashing, use it to boost their marketing, even change their packaging and thus manipulate people’s opinions? Chris DeArmitt: Companies and politicians follow the money. We have allowed lies to spread and now customers demand paper over plastic even though 40 life cycle studies say that increases harm. So, we find companies hiding their plastic bottle inside a paper outer layer. We find politicians moving to paper to gain votes. This is the reason that we must not stand by and watch the lies spread. Some of our larger trade associations are funded to take on the fight but been incredibly ineffective to the point that their members express their frustration to me. PETplanet: Last but not least: How do you personally live the circular plastic economy in your everyday life? Chris DeArmitt: I am in a fortunate position to be able to make the right choices because I have the facts at hand. The most impact comes from flying less, driving less, eating less meat and reducing food waste. The problem is that people don’t want to make any such sacrifices, so rather than doing what would help, they waive a cotton bag over their head to look virtuous. Real virtue comes from checking the facts and doing what is right, not pretending just to look good. What I do goes against current public opinion and is not popular, but I do it anyway. I hope that others join me. PETplanet: Thank you, Chris!
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