Plastic production has risen exponentially in the last decades and now amounts to some 400 million tons per year– a figure set to double by 2040
According to UNEP report more than 400 million tonnes of plastic is produced every year, half of which is used only once and of that less than 10% is recycled.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published ‘Global Plastic Outlook’ reveals that plastic production doubled from 2000 to 2019, reaching 460 million tonnes, while waste generation grew to 353 million tonnes.
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) estimated 8 million tonnes of plastic enter the oceans every year. The financial cost of marine plastic pollution is estimated to be between $6 billion and $19 billion annually due to its impact on tourism, fisheries, and other sectors.
The Pew Charitable Trusts and SYSTEMIQ report "Breaking the Plastic Wave: A Comprehensive Assessment of Pathways Towards Stopping Ocean Plastic Pollution" (2020) reported the annual flow of plastic into the ocean will nearly triple by 2040, reaching 29 million metric tons per year.
The fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee 2024 estimated that 500 million tonnes of plastic were produced, generating about 400 million tonnes of waste.
Why is plastic pollution a great cause of concern?
Plastic pollution is considered one of the most legitimate environmental issues due to its impact devastating, long lasting, multifaceted impact.
Unlike organic materials, plastics do not biodegrade. Instead, they break down over hundreds or even thousands of years into smaller pieces called microplastics and nanoplastics. This means every piece of plastic generated anytime will get accumulated in our environment.
The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) 2021 report on "Plastic & Climate: The Hidden Costs of a Plastic Planet" estimated that by 2050 plastic industry’s global greenhouse gas emissions could reach 56 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent (GtCO2e). This would consume between 10-13% of the world's remaining carbon budget needed to stay below the 1.5°C warming target.
What remedies are being proposed?
As the world is grappling with the issue of plastic pollution, a multi-dimensional approach combining local remedies along with robust international legal framework is required.
At the UN Environment Assembly (2022), a historic resolution was adopted by 175 nations to develop a legally binding international framework on plastic pollution.
A worldwide ban on single use plastic like plastic bags, straws, cutlery and promoting reusable sustainable alternatives that gets aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Improving plastic waste collection system especially in rural and remote areas to avoid plastic from leaking into the environment. Upgrading recycle infrastructure to handle a wider range of plastic more efficiently.
Implementing policies like Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) that make plastic producer financially and physically responsible for the collection and recycling of their products at the end of their life. Imposing landfill taxes, pay-as-you-produce mechanisms need to be incorporated.
Finally, A combination of local remedies and a legally binding international framework is essential to effectively combat the global plastic pollution crisis.
(The author is a UPSC Student with a keen interest in issues of environment)
