A Healthy Circular Future is Only Achievable if We Learn from Past Mistakes

Five years ago, the world woke up to our guilty plastic lifestyle. A pilot whale, unable to feed her calf, poisoned by plastic, sounded the alarm as Blue Planet II summarised the devastation of human consumption on our environment and galvanised shoppers to want to lose their plastic habits. 

Another five year milestone; in February 2018, I helped launch the world’s very first Plastic Free Aisle in a supermarket in Amsterdam. We hailed the 700 plastic-free products as a “landmark moment” in the global fight against plastic pollution. This aisle was all about finally giving people the freedom to choose whether they stick to the toxic status quo or shop plastic free.  It became a symbol of possibility, of hope, and attracted global media attention.