UN Report Outlines Solutions to Reduce Plastic Pollution by 80% by 2040
Ahead of Plastic Pollution Negotiations, UN Report Highlights Market Shifts and Policies for a Circular Economy
In a bid to combat the escalating problem of plastic pollution, a new report released by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) presents a roadmap for reducing plastic waste and fostering a circular economy. The report comes just before the second round of negotiations in Paris, where global stakeholders will discuss a comprehensive agreement to tackle plastic pollution.
According to the UNEP report titled “Turning off the Tap: How the world can end plastic pollution and create a circular economy,” existing technologies and deep policy and market shifts have the potential to reduce plastic pollution by 80% by 2040. The report emphasizes the urgent need for transformative changes to end plastic pollution and offers concrete practices, market shifts, and policies that can guide governments and businesses towards sustainable solutions.
Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director, highlighted the detrimental effects of plastic pollution on ecosystems, human health, and the climate. She emphasized the importance of adopting a circular approach that keeps plastics out of ecosystems and in the economy, ultimately leading to significant economic, social, and environmental benefits.
The report highlights three key market shifts required to achieve the ambitious goal of an 80% reduction in plastic pollution by 2040:
- Reuse: The promotion of reuse options such as refillable bottles, bulk dispensers, and packaging take-back schemes could reduce plastic pollution by 30% by 2040. Governments need to strengthen the business case for reusables to unlock their potential.
- Recycle: By making recycling a stable and profitable venture, an additional 20% reduction in plastic pollution can be achieved. Measures like removing fossil fuel subsidies, enforcing design guidelines for recyclability, and increasing the share of economically recyclable plastics from 21% to 50% can contribute to this goal.
- Reorient and Diversify: Replacing plastic wrappers, sachets, and takeaway items with alternative materials such as compostable materials or paper can lead to a 17% decrease in plastic pollution.
Despite these efforts, the report emphasizes the need to safely manage 100 million metric tons of plastics from single-use and short-lived products annually by 2040, alongside tackling existing plastic pollution. To address this, the report recommends implementing design and safety standards for disposing of non-recyclable plastic waste and holding manufacturers accountable for products shedding microplastics.
Top 10 plastic polluters: Asia dominates
- China: Due to its large population and industrial activities, China has historically been a major contributor to plastic pollution. However, it has also made significant efforts in recent years to address the issue.
- Indonesia: The country faces significant challenges in waste management and has a high rate of plastic leakage into the environment, particularly through rivers. Coastal areas in Indonesia are severely affected by plastic pollution.
- Philippines: Like Indonesia, the Philippines also struggles with inadequate waste management systems, leading to high levels of plastic pollution, particularly in coastal areas and water bodies.
- Vietnam: Rapid economic development and urbanization have contributed to increased plastic consumption and inadequate waste management practices, resulting in significant plastic pollution in rivers and coastal areas.
- Thailand: The country is known for its vibrant tourism industry, which generates large amounts of plastic waste. Inadequate waste management infrastructure and littering contribute to plastic pollution, especially in tourist destinations.
- India: With a large population and growing consumption patterns, India faces significant challenges in managing plastic waste. Improvements in waste management infrastructure and recycling systems are ongoing but still have a long way to go.
- Malaysia: The country has faced issues with illegal plastic imports from other countries, leading to plastic pollution problems. The government has taken steps to address this issue and improve waste management practices.
- Egypt: Egypt has struggled with plastic pollution, particularly along its coastlines and in the Mediterranean Sea. Inadequate waste management infrastructure and improper disposal contribute to the problem.
- Nigeria: Plastic pollution is a significant concern in Nigeria, particularly in urban areas with limited waste management capabilities. Plastic waste is often improperly disposed of or burned, leading to environmental and health issues.
- Brazil: Plastic pollution is a growing concern in Brazil, with significant amounts of plastic waste ending up in rivers and water bodies, particularly in densely populated urban areas.
Combined from various sources
Transitioning to a circular economy would result in significant savings, estimated at USD 1.27 trillion, and avoid externalities related to health, climate, air pollution, and marine ecosystem degradation, saving an additional USD 3.25 trillion. Moreover, the shift could generate around 700,000 new jobs by 2040, predominantly benefiting workers in low-income countries.
While the investment costs for systemic changes are substantial, amounting to USD 65 billion per year, they are significantly lower than the projected spending without these changes. Shifting planned investments for new production facilities or implementing a levy on virgin plastic production can help mobilize the necessary funds for circular infrastructure.
To drive global action, the report emphasizes the importance of internationally agreed policies. These policies should include criteria for banning specific plastic products, a cross-border knowledge baseline, minimum operating standards for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes, and a global fiscal framework to level the playing field for recycled materials.
Crucially, the report urges policymakers to adopt an integrated approach that combines regulatory instruments and policies across the life cycle of plastics. Design rules, recycling targets, fiscal incentives, and other measures should work in harmony to facilitate the transformation towards a circular economy.
The report also provides specific recommendations for standards, EPR schemes, taxes, bans, communication strategies, public procurement, labeling, and more.
As the plastic pollution negotiations kick off this week, the UN report serves as a timely call to action, highlighting the achievable steps and policies needed to combat plastic pollution and foster a sustainable future. With global cooperation and concerted efforts, the vision of significantly reducing plastic pollution and creating a circular economy by 2040 can become a reality.
