Citizens are responsible for caring for their public spaces by not littering, promoting biodiversity awareness and allowing nature to follow its natural processes. However, this is only part of a low-waste plan. The planning, construction, procurement, operational and end-of-life stages of a public space’s development need to consider plastic pollution just as heavily.
How can these areas lower their plastic pollution and impact from the beginning of their life cycle to the end?
Designing Out Plastic Waste in Preconstruction and Design
Planners can reduce plastic before they break ground on a public space, whether it is a park or a parking lot. During these brainstorming sessions, they can prioritize recycled and non-plastic building materials. This will discourage single-use plastics, as long-term use of these products could cause environmental damage from microplastics.
Professionals can implement these thought processes in several ways. First, they can acknowledge the industry’s reliance on plastics, including fixtures such as playground equipment and lighting. Then, make a list of alternative yet sustainable materials that could thrive in public spaces, like wood and stone. During design, collaborators should also think about long-term maintenance strategies and material longevity.
Architecture agency MVRDV considered these elements when constructing a public installation for Bangkok Design Week. The Mega Mat incorporated 500 recycled plastic mats to create a massive piece of art that also served as a statement about a circular economy. This project was effective because the designers thought about available resources during the planning stages.
Using Sustainable Procuring Methods and Vendor Policies for Operations
Before a public project begins, teams need to procure materials and products. Who they choose to partner with is one of the most critical decisions, as their adverse environmental impact and plastic footprint directly translate to the public space’s construction history. They should vet vendors carefully, judging them based on their commitment to zero-waste principles and low- to no-plastic products. In the European Union, Green Public Procurement policies exist to encourage a circular economy and resource efficiency.
Another essential area to consider is food and retail products. Throughout the project’s development, crews will eat and hold onsite meetings. This means plastic cutlery, bags and other plastics could accumulate quickly. Sourcing bioplastics or encouraging people to bring reusable options from home is essential.
The 2024 Paris Olympics aimed to reduce its plastic output by banning single-use plastics and using compostable and recyclable food and beverage packaging instead.
Minimizing On-Site Plastic Footprints in Construction and Implementation
The next step is considering how the space will be constructed. Building a structure creates a massive plastic footprint, including discarded waste materials like off-cuts and tons of packaging. Therefore, every project should have robust waste management infrastructure and adequate training before the effort begins, so everyone understands how to manage waste responsibly.
Other techniques for making this successful include:
● Using signage to detail how to handle plastic waste.
● Sourcing materials from suppliers with take-back programs.
● Acquiring products from local sources to lower plastic waste from transportation.
A New Zealand effort demonstrated how effective this can be by instituting a well-clarified waste management program for the construction sector. Plastic waste was reduced by 66.4% and recycled. During this process, workers identified the most significant sources of plastic.
Engaging the Public With Waste Infrastructure for a Responsible Culture
The lifespan of the public area depends on the community taking care of it. Reducing plastic waste may take some time, especially if citizens are prone to certain behaviors. However, new constructions can teach them in several ways.
Labeled, clear signposts for how to dispose of plastic waste are essential, as they were during construction. To draw attention to these issues, project organizers can collaborate with city officials and local businesses to launch an awareness campaign that encourages everyone to work together to achieve this sustainability goal.
Fostering an eco-friendly mindset among the public after a project’s completion is critical, especially when implementing long-term maintenance and auditing through regular site assessments and mitigation strategies. These are key elements of post-construction oversight and plastic pollution prevention. Continuous evaluations could inspire initiatives like regular trash cleanups.
Decommissioning and Remediating With Mindfulness at the End of Life
Once a public space is nearing the end of its usefulness, its fixtures must be disposed of responsibly. Additionally, the decommissioning and demolition process needs to consider the spread of pollutants. Before resetting the space, teams can create a material passport for the area, detailing everything that was there and what it was made from. Then, it documents how to repurpose, recycle or compost it at the end of its life cycle.
Sometimes, this thoughtfulness can create another public project. The Eğirdir Zero Waste Park in Turkey is an example of this. It manifested from what could have been trash, upcycling it into an innovation in landscape architecture. The park was made from:
● Metal scraps
● Telephone posts
● Waste wood
● Irrigation vessels
● Waste tires
Beyond the Bin
If public space projects followed these tips and strategies, they could drastically reduce their plastic impact. Environmental activists and those interested in promoting more public projects in their neighborhood must advocate for more conscious planning and material procurement as part of a broader eco-conscious strategy.
Lou Farrell
Lou is the senior editor of environmental science pieces at Revolutionized Magazine, with over four years of experience exploring the intersection of technology and environmental sustainability via his lifelong passion for writing.
