Recycled plastic packaging from the Dutch food sector pollutes Asian oceans

Abstract

Plastic food packaging is a cost-effective tool to minimize food waste. However, plastic food packaging rapidly generates waste and if mismanaged can leak to the environment adversely affecting ecosystems. We quantified the plastic waste leaked to the marine environment due to food consumption in the Netherlands. Combining food consumption patterns, food waste estimates, and plastic packaging data, we estimated the plastic packaging intensity of the Dutch diet. We then mapped the fate of the plastic food packaging waste generated using Dutch plastic waste management patterns. We estimate that a total of 296 kt/yr of plastic food packaging is required in the Netherlands. We model that 6.5 kt/yr is leaked to the marine environment, with 75% of this leakage resulting from the exportation of plastic waste to nations in Asia, 3% from all other nations, and 22% due to littering. We conclude that despite being a high-income nation with a post-consumer plastic packaging waste network reporting a 78% recycle rate, Dutch plastic food packaging waste is leaked to the marine environment at a globally average rate, raising questions about plastic recycle rate metrics and Dutch/EU plastic waste export policies.