Experience
What actually makes waste mainstream
Plogging, trash challenges and CleanUp Days - all mass movements against waste. There is plenty of waste, but at the center of the clean-up hype is usually the fight against plastic, symbolized above all by the collection of old plastic bottles. Should we therefore avoid plastic? A study comes to a different conclusion: more packaging would be needed if plastic packaging were replaced by alternatives. And plastic also contributes more to a cleaner world than some people think.
Producing less waste and ridding the world of accumulated waste is now a high priority for politicians and the general public. Plastic waste plays a central role in this - not in a negative, but in a positive way.
Plastic creates awareness and advances the circular economy
The images of masses of plastic waste have had an important effect: waste has become the focus of public attention. Furthermore, this should lead to an awareness of effective disposal and innovative recycling, not an aversion to plastic. After all, plastic is one of the most flexible materials of all. Without plastic, there would be no modern world. And waste becomes waste if it is treated carelessly. In this context, it is interesting to note that up to 20 percent more packaging and therefore more waste would be produced if 10 percent of plastic packaging were replaced by alternative materials - as documented by a recent study by the Gesellschaft für Verpackungsmarktforschung (GVM[1]).
However, plastic is not only an advanced material that makes products accessible to poorer sections of the population thanks to its low manufacturing costs, it is also proving to be forward-looking when disposed of correctly: the recovery of recyclable materials - which only really got going with plastic waste - is driving the circular economy forward, including advances in material efficiency, recycling and conversion technologies.
Material and thermal recycling systems are among the most ecologically sustainable ways of dealing with plastic waste: old products are turned into new ones or the waste is converted into energy, known as waste-to-energy. The recently passed Building Energy Act (GEG) in Germany even puts waste heat from thermal waste treatment for heating systems on a par with renewable energy, on a par with wind and solar energy. And British scientists have succeeded in producing the flavoring agent vanillin[2] from PET plastic with the help of intestinal bacteria (E. coli), an important contribution to the sustainability of plastic and a milestone for the possibilities of synthetic biology, according to the researchers[3].
Mass trends, clean-up days and social initiatives are having an impact
In addition to advances in material and thermal recycling, more and more consumers are getting involved in waste collection. Mindfulness is the keyword, a lifestyle trend that has given rise to the many waste disposal movements. Joggers pick up litter while plogging, walkers and hikers do the same while plalking and pliking, i.e. walking and hiking. Social media users and influencers practice and organize trash challenges. International and regional clean-up events, such as Cleanup Day, are seeing growing numbers of participants - the next one will take place on September 20, 2025.
It is important that in the fight against waste, attention is also drawn to what causes waste - not the material, but how it is handled. For example, studies in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, the largest garbage patch in the world, show that 75 to 86 percent of plastic waste in the sea comes from fishing[4]. In addition, just 10 rivers in Africa and Asia flush the majority of the world's plastic waste from land into the oceans, mainly due to a lack of disposal systems[5].
But even here there are positive developments: Where there is a lack of regulated waste disposal structures, initiatives are developing that turn plastic waste into a barter good and source of income. These include the Plasticbank and its motto "Social Plastic" as well as IMER: a commitment in Mexico in which the Austrian packaging manufacturer Alpla is involved in collecting plastic waste from regional collectors for a fee using its own trucks. In addition, "Ecobricking" turns plastic bottles into sustainable building materials for houses and furniture[6]. The German-South African joint project "EcoBrick Exchange" even uses it to build schools and has received several awards for this, including the Climate Change Award Cape Town, the SEED Award of the United Nations and the Architecture for Social Gains Award[7]. Plastic is therefore valuable in every phase of its material existence.
[1] https://newsroom.kunststoffverpackungen.de
[2] https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding
[3] https://www.chemie.de/news/1171462
[4] https://theoceancleanup.com/updates
[5] https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/911846
[6] https://ecobricks.org/en/
[7] https://ecobrickexchange.org/views/home#about
Image Source: ALPLA
Image Caption: Being at peace with the world: More and more people are getting involved in picking up litter. A trend that has two important effects – a clean environment and the realization that waste is a recyclable material.
What to look out for on the way
Over 39 million people go hiking in Germany[1]. Whether nature lovers, family hikers or professional summiteers, good equipment is crucial. Above all, this includes sufficient liquid, preferably in plastic bottles, for example made of PET, due to their stability and low weight. This is also the opinion of the German Alpine Association.
Up to 2 liters of drink per person per day
If you are planning a day of hiking, you should consider your fluid requirements. Stefan Winter, mountain guide and head of sports development at the German Alpine Association (DAV), says: "Six hours of hiking is roughly a day's hike. You should carry 1 to 2 liters of drinks with you." Heat and walking speed also play an important role in fluid consumption, says Stefan Winter: "The body sweats more in hot temperatures, as well as at a fast-walking pace." The mountain guide therefore advises: "If you only take 1 liter with you, you should plan to fill up with water at a hut or a clean spring."
Use plastic bottles instead of glass
DAV head of department Stefan Winter: "Glass bottles are unsuitable for hiking. They are heavier than plastic bottles and can break. Be careful when putting them down in rocky terrain!" Broken glass bottles happen all the time. "Shards are not just a visual nuisance", emphasizes mountain guide Winter, "they can also damage the soles of your shoes." And warns: "Caution is advised in summer when you are barefoot, for example during a hiking break, to relax and ventilate your feet, as there is a risk of cuts." Small and hard-to-see glass splinters in particular spread over a wide radius, which further increases the risk of injury and damage.
Think about wildlife protection and the risk of forest fires
But it's not just people who are at risk from the shards and splinters; the sensitive paws of dogs on the trail are also at risk of serious injury. Kathrin Klein, a forester from the Schönbuch forest district near Stuttgart, which is part of the Baden-Württemberg state forest, explains: "Of course, wild animals can also injure themselves on the shards, especially if the glass shards have the smell of something edible on them.”
In hot summers, glass bottles and broken glass pose another danger: forest fires. To avoid potential ignition sources due to the burning glass effect, the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of the Interior, for example, called on walkers and hikers in 2023 to take "small arsonists" such as bottles or broken glass out of the forest and dispose of them[2].
Conclusion: Hiking with a view and foresight
This is why experienced hikers are already using plastic bottles. "Food-safe plastic bottles are now common when hiking", emphasizes DAV expert Stefan Winter. They are part of good equipment. Those who opt for plastic bottles are also making a sustainable choice. Even during production and transportation, plastic bottles save a lot of energy compared to glass due to their low melting point and low weight. And if disposed of properly, the used bottles can be recycled sustainably.
In any case, it is important not to leave drinks containers and garbage behind when out and about. If there is any broken glass, it should be carefully collected and disposed of properly. Then all nature lovers, family hikers and professional summiteers can enjoy a well-supplied, shard-free and therefore light-footed day of hiking.
[1] https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/272532
[2] https://im.baden-wuerttemberg.de/de/service
Image Source: ALPLA
Image Caption: Experienced hikers rely on plastic bottles: Unlike glass bottles, they are lightweight and unbreakable. Mountain guide Stefan Winter from the German Alpine Association agrees: "Glass bottles are unsuitable for hiking. They are heavier than plastic bottles and can break." Which means a risk of injury to people and animals from shards of glass lying around.
Better not made of cardboard
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Easter time is egg time. And for those who want to store and transport eggs safely, egg packaging made from 100 percent recycled plastic proves to be the best choice: Compared to cardboard cartons, the lightweight plastic containers offer greater stability and are more resistant to moisture. Their smooth surface also reduces the risk of contamination by germs. Additionally, the packaging allows a direct view of the condition of the eggs. Moreover, plastic packaging can be produced in an energy-efficient manner and recycled after use.
Brightly colored Easter eggs are a traditional sign for celebrating spring, life, and renewal. Everything that plastic also represents: lightness, ecology, and recycling.
Plastic Egg Cartons: A Significant Difference
A conventional gray 10-egg carton made of cardboard weighs about 45-50 grams, while the plastic alternative is nearly 40 percent lighter[1]. With around 13.1 billion eggs produced annually in Germany[2] and packaged in approximately 1 billion egg cartons[3], this weight difference adds up significantly: The total weight difference between the two types of packaging amounts to about 20,000 tons – the equivalent of almost 3,000 trucks[4]. Due to the twice as high stacking density when transporting empty plastic egg cartons, another 3,000 truck trips per year can be avoided. These transport savings through plastic packaging conserve energy and reduce CO₂ emissions[5].
Cardboard Cartons: A Complex Process with Environmental Costs
The production of cardboard egg cartons is anything but simple. Even recycling wastepaper is a complex process: Collected paper must be sorted and then cleaned using mechanical and chemical methods. The wastepaper is then dissolved and processed into a stable fiber mat. The entire process requires a significant amount of water, energy, and technical precision. Depending on the requirement, the finished cardboard is also coated and printed. Estimates suggest that about 10 to 20 percent of new paper from fresh wood is also used. This is not truly an ecological system since, in addition to the trees that are felled, the production of fresh fiber paper requires an average of about 50,000 liters of water per ton - one reason why the German Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) has long stated that paper production harms the environment and nature[6]. By using egg packaging made from 100 percent recycled plastic (rPET), 84 percent less water and about 26 percent less energy are required[7].
Packaging as a Valuable Material: The Recycling Advantage of Plastic
Used egg cartons cannot always be recycled and reintroduced into the material cycle – if an egg breaks, which often happens with cardboard, the packaging must go into residual waste instead of paper recycling. In contrast, clean or cleaned plastic containers can be recycled up to 100 percent. Furthermore, an increasing number of plastic packages are already made from recycled material (rPET), further improving their ecological footprint.
Robust Shell: More Protection, Less Resource Consumption
Plastic packaging is resistant and less susceptible to dirt and moisture penetration. This increases product protection and extends shelf life. Additionally, transparent plastic containers allow an immediate check of whether the eggs are intact. If an egg is damaged, the plastic packaging prevents leakage and protects other packages and, depending on the packaging design, the other eggs from contamination. This is a key advantage – Austrian specialist for transparent egg packaging “Ovotherm” points out that producing 10 eggs requires 40 to 50 times more resources than producing their packaging. A broken egg can occur in both paper and plastic packaging. The fundamental difference is that in a cardboard package, if one egg breaks, the leaking liquid contaminates the packaging and the eggs below, making them unsellable. If an egg breaks in a cardboard package, up to 19 intact eggs may need to be discarded. Furthermore, the environmental impact of just two damaged eggs per 100 packaged eggs is as high as the impact of packaging all 100 eggs[8].
Cardboard as a Germ Trap: Why Plastic Offers Better Protection
The higher resistance of plastic packaging to moisture is a crucial hygiene factor: While the porous structure of cardboard absorbs moisture and creates a favorable environment for microorganisms, plastic surfaces are smoother and less permeable, making it harder for bacteria to survive. This means the risk of germ transmission is generally higher in cardboard egg cartons than in plastic ones. According to Ökotest, many consumers are unaware that egg cartons can be hazardous to health.
The reason: Eggs are only roughly cleaned before packaging, meaning pathogens can remain on the shells and transfer to the carton. Particularly dangerous are salmonella, which can cause severe gastrointestinal illnesses. For this reason, the German Food Hygiene Regulation requires food to be protected from any contamination during storage. It is therefore strongly advised against reusing egg cartons, as, unlike plastic containers, cardboard cannot be cleaned. Used egg cartons cannot always be recycled and reintroduced into the material cycle – if an egg breaks, which often happens with cardboard, the packaging must go into residual waste instead of paper recycling. In contrast, clean or cleaned plastic containers can be recycled up to 100 percent. Furthermore, an increasing number of plastic packages are already made from recycled material (rPET), further improving their ecological footprint.
[1] Dimensions: 19.1 cm length, 14.5 cm width, 6.4 cm height
[2] https://www.destatis.de/Pressemitteilungen/2024.html
[3] Does not take into account the share of eggs sold unpackaged or further processed by the industry
[4] Assumed Weight: Truck – 7 Tons
[5] https://www.ovotherm.com/de/environment/
[6] https://www.nabu.de/umwelt-und-ressourcen.html
[7] https://www.ovotherm.com/de/environment/
[8] https://www.ovotherm.com/site/umweltfolder.pdf
[9] https://www.oekotest.de/essen-trinken.html
Image Source: ALPLA
Image Caption: Egg packaging made of plastic – more hygienic, more stable, and with a clear view of the product.
Plastic waste: material for art
Used plastic bottles are not waste, but a valuable resource. They can be reprocessed in a variety of ways and transformed into new products or fresh energy. And into art. This is exactly what Veronika Richterová does. The Czech artist creates fascinating sculptures made out of old PET bottles.
Plastic has inspired artists from the very beginning. The reason: plastic meets almost all technical and aesthetic requirements. It is a universal material and is considered modern and progressive. This not only applies to new products: art has long since discovered used plastic as a valuable material.
Plastic bottles become sculptures
“PET bottles have become an important part of my life,” says Czech artist Veronika Richterová, known for her work in the field of “plastic bottle art”, or PET-ART for short. She has been raving about the material for 20 years: “I appreciate its lightness and flexibility, its translucency and its bright colors.” And emphasizes: “Its longevity and unbreakability are a great advantage, especially when my sculptures are shown at various exhibitions. And there have already been more than fifty of them.” She has shown PET-ART chandeliers as well as life-size representations of, animals and plants in the Czech Republic, Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy, Japan, Australia and the USA. These include a crocodile made from 360 PET bottles, which she presented for the first time in the Fata Morgana greenhouse of the Botanical Garden in Prague.
At the same time, she and her husband are building a museum for PET bottles; their collection “comprises around 5,000 exhibits from 139 countries”. The number continues to grow, as friends are now joining in her passion for plastic. She describes her intention: “My main motive was to transform something that is seen as waste into something more valuable that can have a lasting value.”
Significance beyond the realm of art
The artist is not alone in this approach. The global presence of plastic waste and its ability to be recycled is causing a rethink: what was once a disposable product has become a source of valuable material. A creative and trendy one as well.
PET also promotes a sustainable circular economy, keyword: bottle-to-bottle processes. Establishing collection points and systems in rural areas of developing and emerging countries is central to being able to fully exploit the recycling potential of used plastic. This aspect needs to be taken into account when developing new material and thermal processing technologies. As practiced, for example, by the recycling companies IMER and PLANETA in Mexico: By accepting used plastic bottles for a fee, they combine environmental protection and poverty reduction. Creativity and innovation are therefore not limited to the procurement and processing of new materials, but are revealed above all in the productive use of what was previously considered waste. Art often precedes such developments.
Image Source: Michal Cihlář
Image Caption: Elegance from waste: Czech artist Veronika Richterová creates exhibits such as this chandelier (Green Chandelier for Café Savoy, Prague, 2023) from used PET bottles.
