Plastic pollution could be slashed by 80 per cent by 2040 if countries and companies use existing technologies to make significant policy shifts and market adjustments, according to a new UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report released last week.

“The way we produce, use, and dispose of plastics is polluting ecosystems, creating risks for human health and destabilizing the climate,” said UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen.

‘Roadmap’ to slash plastic pollution

“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,” she said.

The report, Turning off the Tap: How the world can end plastic pollution and create a circular economy, outlines the magnitude and nature of the changes required to end plastic pollution and create a sustainable circular economy that is friendly to humans and the environment.

Changing the system

The report proposes a system change achieved by accelerating three key shifts – reuse, recycle, and reorient and diversify – and actions to deal with the legacy of plastic pollution.

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, the report found.

Finite timeframe

However, the report warned that time is of the essence. A five-year delay may lead to an increase of 80 million metric tons of plastic pollution by 2040.

Serving as a solutions-focused analysis of concrete practices, market shifts, and policies that can inform government thinking and business action, the report found that the highest costs in both a throwaway and circular economy, are operational.

With regulation to ensure plastics are designed to fit a circular model, extended producer responsibility schemes can cover the operational costs of ensuring the system’s integrity by requiring producers to finance the collection, recycling, and responsible end-of-life disposal of plastic products.

Read the full article on the UN News website.