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As reported by ABC, South Australia’s Environmental Protection Authority will enforce a ban on the iconic fish-shaped soy sauce containers sold in on-the-go sushi portions from September. This is the latest move in a line of crackdowns on plastic packaging components, and businesses found to violate the rule will be subject to warnings and fines.
Consumers tend to react strongly when iconic designs are overhauled; the now-debunked rumour that Capri-Sun would replace its pouch and straw format sparked similar backlash. I expect to see some resistance from those who value a novel consumer experience over environmentalist efforts.
Although I’m partial to the format on a sentimental level, my main reservation with the ban is what the proposed alternative is. David Fickling writes for Bloomberg that “you’ll save a huge amount of polymers just by handing out soy sauce in flexible sachets,” but some might disagree. Several brands have already blamed insufficient recycling infrastructure for flexibles after falling short of sustainability targets this year – should we really be generating more?
Plant-based and biodegradable packets, similar to those used in sampling sachets for skincare products, could be a future aspiration, but what if they can’t be scaled effectively just yet? Otherwise, a reuse system sounds impractical for something so small, while pouring sauce on the product before it is packed and sold risks spoiling the flavour (and deprives consumers of the ability to apply the sauce to their liking).
Perhaps the problem isn’t necessarily the material – the fish are reportedly made from polyethylene, a widely recycled polymer – but the size, with the tiny containers prone to slipping through recycling machinery. Some consumers recommend recycling them inside larger polyethylene packs like beverage bottles to prevent them from getting lost; but is there a world where a redesign would simplify things, or would that only require more plastic consumption?
It’s a complex problem without an immediate solution. I only hope there’s a clear plan behind the scenes, and that we aren’t rushing into a short-sighted ban with a black-and-white vendetta against plastics.
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