FAQ on PE
26 November 2020

What is litter-prone plastic?

Litter-prone plastic is plastic packaging material that is more likely to end up on the street or in nature than other types of plastic packaging. Because some plastic packaging is more likely to be opened and used on the street, it is more likely to end up in nature. For example:

  • Plastic bottles
  • Candy packaging
  • Fast food packaging
  • Rubbish bags
  • Etc.

There are also plastics that are less likely to end up in nature, such as plastics that are generally used indoors. Since people usually dispose of this themselves in the trash, it has less chance of ending up in nature. For example:

  • Bread bags
  • Detergent packaging
  • Shipping packaging
  • Etc.

Litter in general

Litter is one of the most annoying pain points of plastic packaging. Litter costs hundreds of millions of euros a year in clean-up costs, it attracts pests and it can pollute the soil. So it is bad for people, animals and nature. When litter ends up in the ocean, marine animals can eat it or become entangled in it. It can also happen that mussels, shrimps or other marine animals store these pieces of plastic in their bodies. As a result, the pieces of plastic then re-enter our food chain.

According to estimates, some 50 million kilos of litter end up on the streets or in nature every year. When this litter reaches the sea or rivers by wind, for example, it can contribute to the so-called "plastic soup".

Litter hardly ever decays. A piece of candy paper takes at least 20 years to decay, the same plastic packaging at least 100 years, and an aluminium soft drink can hardly decays at all. This makes it clear that stopping litter, and therefore litter-prone plastic, is very important to counteract the negative impact on people, animals and nature.

Do you have questions about litter-sensitive plastic in response to this article?

If so, please contact one of our product specialists, using the contact form below. You will then receive a response as soon as possible.

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