The way to a circular plastic economy
2025. 04. 02
“If you look at the Chinese character for poop (糞), it translates to a different form(異) of rice(米). The implication is that poop is no different from rice. Poop becomes manure for rice, which grows into the crop, which becomes the bowl of rice that goes into our bodies and turns into poop again. It’s a phenomenal cycle of matter in the ecosystem.”
Director Hong, a garbage literacy commentator and head of the Resource Circulation Society&Economy Institute, said, “There is no such thing as absolutely useless garbage,” while explaining the ecological circulation system and circular economy. This means that even if something is useless at one stage, it can be turned into something useful in a different situation and context.
“Circular economy sounds abstract and difficult, but it’s actually quite simple. It aims to mimic the beautiful circular flow of the ecosystem. Just as poop becomes nutrients for plants, garbage turns into raw materials for industry, and resources that are discarded within the economic system can be recycled.”
Heavy rains fall on a desert city and an uncontrollable wildfire burns through the forest. With the global climate crisis getting worse every year, what can we do? Hong says it’s time to move beyond simple answers like “reduce plastic use!” and raise more complex questions such as “Which kinds of plastics are problematic?” and “What specifically should plastic companies do?”
French novelist Romain Gary wrote these words in a novel based on his experiences in the United States in the 1960s. “Mountains of garbage are always the first sign of a broken civilization.” How did he so accurately foresee the problem we’re facing now? It requires a shift in thinking to solve the problem of trash that keeps piling up no matter how much it is cleaned up. “Is that thing you’re throwing away really garbage?
The concept of the circular economy (see infographic) was proposed by economist Kenneth Boulding in 1966 and developed by many scholars since the 1990s. In essence, it means that materials can circulate within human economic systems without being wasted, just like material flows in natural ecosystems. We need a circular economy system that minimizes waste, not just “discarding less waste,” and Hong emphasizes the role of producers in this process. “We need to look at how global companies are responding to the circular economy. If real producer responsibility is being demanded more strongly than ever, and it’s inevitable anyway, why not jump on board proactively and help shape the new economic order? States of powerful nations and multinational companies have a strategy to set the standard early and take the lead in industry reshaping. How will the standard of product manufacturing required of producers change in the future? First, when you make things, make sure they are reusable and recyclable. The right to repair and make products last longer and the right not to buy junk are emerging as new consumer rights. The second is that you should always use renewable materials to make things. Already, companies are racing to use more and more renewable raw materials in their own operations. Korea is also planning to increase the mandatory use of renewable materials in plastic products to 30% by 2030.”
Director Hong says, more than ever, it’s time for producers to feel the responsibility that’s required of them. A shortage of renewable feedstock would drive up the price of products, which in turn would disrupt production, resulting in poor quality and the overall problem of less and less competitive companies and industries. “To get to a circular economy, you have to look at the details, not the big lump. You have to create a tight, sophisticated system where thousands of materials are recycled and put back into place.”
Both the public and experts cite “global warming/climate change” as the most serious environmental issue
○ The general public is most concerned about global warming and climate change (93.7%), followed by industrial waste (85.5%) and
household waste (84.5%)
○ Experts ranked in the order of global warming and climate change (94.6%), atmosphere (91.3%), and industrial waste (86.9%)
According to a survey released by the Ministry of Environment in 2024, 96% of South Koreans said that “the problem of plastic waste is a serious cause of climate change.” Many people realize that the accumulation of plastic waste is directly contributing to the climate crisis by increasing greenhouse gas emissions and that its use needs to be regulated. But how much plastic is actually being reduced? Contrary to popular belief, Hong says, the current trend is toward increased plastic production. While conventional plastics producers are looking to shift to renewable plastics, refiners that used to produce plastic feedstock are jumping directly into plastic production. It’s an ironic situation where the demand for plastic is increasing* as well as the supply.
“The plastic problem cannot be solved by the regulatory framework of one country and one region. It’s a contentious issue involving trade and the competitiveness of companies. I think the only way to solve this problem is to create a global regulatory framework through an international agreement, which is not easy. Oil-producing countries see the future of oil as a fuel as unclear because of climate agreements, so they’ve shifted from fuels to raw materials and are increasing their investment in plastics. They decided to take control of plastics (just like they took control of the global economy with petroleum fuel). Now, refiners are expanding their portfolios and all moving into plastics, and plastics from shale gas in the US are also incredibly price-competitive. Times are tough for traditional petrochemical companies.”
*Global plastic use is expected to nearly triple from 460 million tons in 2019 to 1.23 billion tons in 2060 (OECD Global Plastics Outlook, 2023)
○ 96.8% of the general public and 98.0% of experts believe Korea’s plastic waste problem is serious
○ The government is the main responsible party for plastic waste (40.5%), followed by product manufacturers (34%), etc.
The problem with plastics isn’t just about the environment. Hong continued in a determined tone. The bottom line is that oil-producing and developed countries are reorganizing the plastics industry in a way that only they can survive. “It’s going to take a regulatory framework that says, ‘Let’s reduce it across the board through international agreements,’ but I think that’s going to take a very long time because we have to create a clear scientific basis for these harms. There’s a lot of expectation that an international plastics agreement will solve the problem, but realistically, it’s not an easy feat to achieve.”
There’s nothing wrong with using plastic, which is an affordable, durable material. Single-use plastic bags were created to replace paper bags, and plastic piano keys saved countless elephants whose ivory was taken away to make them. With plastic used in so many places today, what are the realistic alternatives? “The first thing is to reduce the amount of plastic made from petroleum as much as possible and make sure that the discarded plastic is compostable,” Hong adds that helping traditional plastics companies is the way to end the problem.
“If we want to reduce plastics made from petroleum, obviously, we need to expand bioplastics. Bioplastics need to have a solution for sourcing raw materials that minimize the impact on the ecosystem. We need to be competitive in this area. Most importantly, we will need to increase the supply of renewable materials and gradually reduce the use of virgin materials. There are prerequisites for effectively supplying renewable raw materials that the industry needs. So far, plastic recycling has been mostly taking place at small and medium businesses that have less capital. It’s simply not feasible for them to go beyond simple recycling to supplying recycled goods at a level that can replace a variety of virgin plastics* that the industry needs.”
Dr. Hong then makes a strong case for the role of big businesses and the government. “The petrochemical companies in Korea are facing an inevitable industrial transition. Whether it’s recycling or bioplastics, there are still a lot of uncertainties in investment. You need to invest heavily in the beginning because high-quality renewable materials or bioplastics are still expensive. So, we need government regulations to encourage end users to buy renewable materials and bioplastics, even if they are expensive. Then, the petrochemical companies will realize, “Wow, there’s a new industry here,” and start investing heavily. Then, there will be a new division of roles between small and medium-sized recyclers and large companies.
Every new endeavor is expensive. That’s why we need the government to manage the process so that it can become an alternative and build a competitive business model. ” There are double and triple stakes surrounding plastics —between production and distribution and among companies and countries. Hong reminds us that in times like these, the key is in the details.
*Virgin plastic: Plastic made from a combination of raw materials derived from petroleum
“We have to capture all the details of the material flow in the specific flows of production, distribution, consumption, and disposal. The details we capture shall be turned into statistics and industrial policy.” Let’s look at the example of clam shells at a Korean Handmade noodle shop to illustrate how everyday waste can become part of the circular economy.
“For example, Korean handmade noodle shops throw out clam shells as garbage every day. If you go to Tongyeong, there are huge piles of oyster shells every year. These are all calcium carbonate, which is limestone used in cement. The demand for this limestone powder dust is higher than we might think. Calcium carbonate is used to make PVC, coat A4-sized paper, and used as a chemical in pollution prevention facilities. When clam shells are used as raw materials in place of calcium carbonate, they become carbon-neutral substances. But if it’s not managed properly, it emits greenhouse gases.” Even in the case of clam shells in Korean handmade noodle shops, the double-edged sword of carbon neutrality and greenhouse gas emissions exists.
Dr. Hong emphasized that the circular economy is an ecosystem. “Building a system to look at the flow of resources, bringing in the necessary technology, creating the business, and setting up the financial support and fund investment for it are not something that a single entity can do. That’s why platforms that engage all stakeholders are so important in the circular economy.” When asked what the role of a properly created circular economy platform is, Dr. Hong returned to more practical issues.
“All the stakeholders need to be on the platform. Within that, specific agendas will be set, and the stakeholders who have something to say about the topic can add more details. For instance, let’s say Person A suggests a direction to solve the problem, and Person B would respond that going in that direction might cause problems. Then, Person C comes up with an idea that solves the problem, and so on. When we share concrete and tangible ideas, we can organize a solution that’s not too far from reality.”
In, there’s a phrase, “Though we have heard of stupid haste in war, cleverness has never been seen associated with long delays.” It means that in war, it’s better to react quickly, even if your strategy isn’t perfect than to strategize and lose the battle. Director Hong says that instead of debating this and that, we should prioritize proactive actions that are grounded in reality. The government that creates institutions and policies, companies that produce and distribute, civil society organizations that raise pointed issues, and the public that empowers companies that support the environment should all aim to take a step in the right direction right now. “The circular economy is ‘something new from the old.’ As I wrote in my book, Gramsci, an Italian communist leader, said, ‘The crisis consists precisely in the fact that the old is dying and the new cannot be born.’ This is where we are now. If you think about it intellectually, the outlook for the garbage problem is pessimistic.
The same goes for the climate crisis and microplastics. I’m extremely skeptical about whether humans can change.” Still, the world is changing slowly but surely. He concluded on a hopeful note, saying that he is convinced that the circular economy is a Digital New Deal task tailored to the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. “Each person may go at different speeds. I consider myself a moderate rationalist. So I tell other activists, ‘Let’s not hate others so much.’ When you argue based on strict principles and hardline points, you are prone to hating people. It’s a problem that can only be solved by everyone working together, so I hope we can be more generous and take action one step ahead.”
*This post is based on the content of ‘That’s not the path to a circular economy of plastics’ from ZEROBOOK, published by LG Chem (Writer: Lee An-na (Archive Press), Photographer: Han Jeong-hyun (28grams studio).
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