38 SUSTAINABILITY - Tipa CIN06 2023_LAW.qxp 30/10/2023 09:47 Page 1
SUSTAINABILITY Plastic packaging in the market
HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT PLASTIC POLLUTION IN THE CYCLING INDUSTRY On paper, cycling has a low carbon impact, but the production and supply of bike products is an environmental challenge for the industry to grapple with. Daphna Nissenbaum, CEO and co-founder of TIPA, explains how the business is already working with cycle brands to minimise plastics used in
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t the start of 2020, Marie Sallois, on behalf of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), said: “Plastic pollution is one of the biggest challenges facing our environment today and sport – like any other industry – has an urgent responsibility to address it1.” Alongside this statement the IOC launched the ‘Plastic Game Plan for Sport’ with the UN Environment Programme, which offers a guide for decreasing plastic consumption across the sporting world. Measures included introducing reusable or compostable cups and tableware at events, providing water refill points, recycling bins and reducing the use of ‘hidden plastic’ such as merchandise, signage, branding and ticketing2. As recognised by the IOC, plastic pollution can have a direct impact on the sports we love. No one wants to surf and sail through piles of ocean plastic, or cycle and run along roads and paths littered with plastic. Whilst the cycling industry is one that boats a small impact on the environment by not releasing any harmful emissions nor
any carbon dioxide3, the industry still produces and uses harmful plastics. Sports clothing used by professional athletes and enthusiasts alike are made up of plastics in polyester and nylon, which every time they're washed, shed tiny microplastics up to five millimetres in size4. Furthermore, these clothes come wrapped in plastic packaging. With the world producing 141 million tonnes of plastic packaging a year and plastic disposal contributing 1.8 billion tonnes of carbon emissions annually5, cycling’s low environmental impact becomes much greater when considering plastic consumption in packaging clothes, helmets, shoes, bike parts and even bikes themselves. For cycling to maintain its place as an environmentally friendly sport, participants must source their products from retailers who are ecoconscious. Santini uses TIPA compostable packaging to protect its items, as does fi’zi:k and PEdALED. Here at TIPA, we have been innovating with compostable packaging solutions for over ten years, with a sole mission to overcome the plastic crisis.
Uniquely at TIPA, we understand the benefits of plastic. It’s strong, durable, and does a great job at protecting valuable items. This is why we have developed our compostable packaging to mimic the properties of plastic, meaning our packaging can withstand long storage, transportation whilst being strong and leaving no trace at end of life, once placed in a home or industrial composter. The cycling industry is one with a proud environmental record, however it is not exempt from scrutiny when it comes to its use of plastic. From professional athletes to weekend cyclists, to international sporting events to local clubs, there is a plastic presence across cycling. It’s in what cyclists wear and what wraps the latest apparel. To reduce cycling’s plastic footprint, the sport must start to make sustainable switches and here at TIPA we are aiding the industry in finding environmentally friendly packaging solutions. www.tipa-corp.com
1,2 International Olympic Committee (2020) IOC’s Plastic Game Plan for Sport to help sports organisations tackle plastic pollution UCLA (2023) How Riding a Bike Benefits the Environment. | 4UNEP (2019) Fashions’ Little Secret. | 5WRAP (2023) Plastic Packaging
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