The UN has said that plastic pollution could be reduced by 80 per cent by 2040 if countries and companies make deep policy and market shifts using existing technologies.

Turning off the Tap: How the world can end plastic pollution and create a circular economy, a report by UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has been released ahead of a second round of negotiations in Paris on a global agreement to beat plastic pollution and outlines the magnitude and nature of the changes required to end plastic pollution and create a circular economy.

“The way we produce, use and dispose of plastics is polluting ecosystems, creating risks for human health and destabilising the climate,” said Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director. “This UNEP report lays out a roadmap to dramatically reduce these risks through adopting a circular approach that keeps plastics out of ecosystems, out of our bodies and in the economy. If we follow this roadmap, including in negotiations on the plastic pollution deal, we can deliver major economic, social and environmental wins.”

To slash plastic pollution by 80 per cent globally by 2040, the report suggests first eliminating problematic and unnecessary plastics to reduce the size of the problem. Subsequently, the report calls for three market shifts – reuse, recycle and reorient and diversify products.
But even with the measures above, 100 million metric tons of plastics from single-use and short-lived products will still need to be safely dealt with annually by 2040, together with a significant legacy of existing plastic pollution. This can be addressed by setting and implementing design and safety standards for disposing of non-recyclable plastic waste, and by making manufacturers responsible for products shedding microplastics, among others.

Overall, the shift to a circular economy would result in $1.27tr trillion in savings, considering costs and recycling revenues. A further $3.25tr would be saved from avoided externalities such as health, climate, air pollution, marine ecosystem degradation, and litigation-related costs.

Share Story: