Consumers vs. Corporations: The Blame Game

Wheelie Bins pictured in Ōtautahi Christchurch. Source: Gobeirne / Wikimedia Commons. 

When you think of ‘environment’ and ‘sustainability’, what comes to mind? You may envision the state of our climate, ocean pollution, or transport emissions. Regardless of where your thoughts lead you, or the steps you take as an individual to enhance or prevent further harm to the environment, one constant remains across all groups of people. There is a tendency to assign blame. The question is: who is truly responsible for our current state, and what are the next steps? 

Kate Gislason, founder of Without Waste NZ, shared her thoughts on attributing blame, particularly regarding plastics. She said that it’s a combination of consumers and manufacturers. 

“The plastics industry has a lot of responsibility, and consumers underestimate how much power they have. If there is no option for the consumers, that’s where a top-down approach is necessary,” said Gislason. 

It isn’t uncommon for the impact of consumerism and public contributions to be placed at the centre of environmental debates, but it doesn’t deter from how detrimental massive corporations are overall. 

“Blaming consumers and the public entirely for sustainability issues isn’t fair or productive. While individual choices matter, systemic changes and corporation responsibility also play significant roles,” said Harriet Dodd, a Social and Environmental Sustainability student at the University of Canterbury. 

Another Sustainability student, who wished to remain anonymous, shared similar thoughts when asked about attributing blame. 

“Looking at Aotearoa, I believe the government, and larger corporations, hold a lot of responsibility and are not pulling their weight regarding environmental issues, as with the lack of education… There is currently not enough education and support for individuals and communities on consuming and recycling, which needs to change.” 

In April, an international survey revealed that fewer than 60 multinational corporations are accountable for over half of the world’s plastic pollution. This can be traced back to brands adopting harmful packaging practices, leading to a significant amount of single-use plastics waste. Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are among the worst offenders. 

In Aotearoa New Zealand, there’s a passionate network of people working towards limiting waste and finding environmentally-friendly measures of getting rid of rubbish. Gislason, who also serves as a Sustainability Engagement Lead for EcoCentral – a processing company responsible for Waitaha Canterbury’s recycling and waste – regards Canterbury landfills as some of the best she’s ever seen. 

“I have been to Kate Valley Landfill… it is extremely clean. You go to it and the odour is minimal, considering how much waste is piled up there,” said Gislason. “They get power from it. They are utilising every aspect of the landfill that they can.” 

“The quality of recyclables that we are achieving in Christchurch is world-class. We sorted bales of individual materials that are 99.8% clean. That is .2% contamination in bales,” said Gislason. Referring to EcoCentral’s EcoSort facility, she said, “There is not a lot of improvement you can do from that.” 

Gislason applauds the Ministry for the Environment Manatū Mō Te Taiao for putting out very ambitious goals without sufficient help from the wider government. 

While it’s helpful to understand why blame is being attributed to certain groups, it’s important to investigate the broader issues that contribute to environmental problems. 

One of these issues is the lack of education on waste disposal and management. While the younger population is becoming increasingly informed on environmental challenges in Aotearoa, there should be a greater emphasis on encouraging adults to seek further knowledge. 

This deficiency in education has resulted in obliviousness. EcoCentral’s EcoDrop Resource Recovery Centres allow most items to be dropped off for free, making it a highly recommended place to visit. However, many people are unaware that they can unload mixed items such as batteries and scrap metal. 

“If we don’t understand the extent of the problem, we cannot change it,” said Gislason. 

As well as a lack of education, there is also wish-cycling. Wish-cycling refers to the phenomenon of putting things in the recycling bin and hoping they will get recycled, even if that is not the case. Done by households and organisations alike, this contributes to rise in contamination levels and makes it harder for places like EcoCentral’s EcoSort facility to comb through their recyclables. 

An increase in landfill levies has also been implemented over the last few years, which can lead to fly-tipping: the illegal dumping of waste or rubbish in an unauthorised area. 

Another recent issue for in the waste industry in Ōtautahi Christchurch is concern around per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS – dubbed “forever chemicals”. PFAS consists of a man-made carbon-fluorine bond that is not naturally occurring and has a non-stick coating that is quite invisible. Exposure has been linked to a growing list of problems, including risks around cancer and infertility. 

Gislason said that PFAS is “basically an invisible killer. If it gets into compost, we’re essentially growing our food in toxins that have been linked to serious health concerns, such as cancer.” 

“Especially in the waste industry that focuses on events, this may be a big issue.” 

Gislason notes how PFAS testing needs to be ramped up, and that the Government is not actively doing this. 

On the positive side: compostable packaging company Glopac stands out for the work that they are doing to eliminate this harm. Their paper packaging supplier is organically approved for compostable plastic, free of polylactic acid – PLA, and PFAS-free packaging. 

I reached out to Chris Thomson, founder of Glopac, to learn more. 

Thomson has been outspoken in his thoughts on this topic. His knowledge of environmentally-friendly packaging suggests that the next step – or the current step, in Glopac’s case – is to completely remove packaging containing PLA and PFAS. Specifically referring to the latter, he is convinced that it is not required. 

“Now the world is asking questions about what’s in it. [PFAS is] causing cancer and infertility in a very quick way,” said Thomson. 

A lot of companies in Aotearoa do not have testing for PFAS on their agenda, as Thomson explicitly stated that the packaging used by many venues is non-compostable. 

“All the stuff they’ve got is all going to go to landfill,” said Thomson. 

A “compostable” cup that is not PLA-free. Source: Olivia Welsh. 

When it comes to attributing blame, Thomson believes it’s unfair to blame consumers, and he is hell-bent on manufacturers and disturbers being at the centre of the issue. “That’s putting the blame onto someone else, and then turning around and carrying on… someone is at the forefront. The blame starts right there.” 

When referring to his products, which include both paper coffee cups and microwavable and oven-friendly boxes that are PLA and PFAS-free, Thomson argued that Aotearoa was not yet ready to see this kind of sustainability revolution when he founded his business years ago. 

“We brought a product to the country before the country was ready for it,” said Thomson. 

It is important to note that elsewhere in the world, bills are being put in place to ban the use of “forever chemicals” like PFAS by 2025 – including in New York. Aotearoa might want to jump on that bandwagon if we wish to make a change. 

For those seeking further insight, Gislason and Thomson both recommended the 2019 legal thriller film Dark Waters, which presents a dramatised yet alarmingly relevant portrayal of chemical manufacturing and contamination. 

While it isn’t fair to dump all the blame on any one person, group, or organisation, in the long run, it is about working together – to mitigate these negative effects and eliminate issues by implementing the necessary changes. 

“Looking ahead, our vision for a sustainable Christchurch and Aotearoa should be comprehensive, encompassing environmental, social, and economic aspects,” said Dodd. 

“The collective effort of government, businesses, communities, and individuals will pave the way for a more sustainable and resilient future.” 

Caring for Aotearoa is our collective responsibility, but blaming consumers left and right without plausible reasoning will get us nowhere. We should tackle the issue together.