Consultants say the issue is especially extreme in rising economies which lack the delicate recycling processes of wealthier nations.
This could possibly be improved via schemes reminiscent of prolonged producer duty (EPR) the place plastic producers are made answerable for the tip of a product’s life cycle, reminiscent of by paying to cowl the prices of recycling.
Ought to we ban single-use plastics?
A report by the Again to Blue initiative examined three major methods by which governments have tried to scale back plastic consumption, together with EPR schemes, manufacturing taxes and bans on single-use plastics.
It discovered that single-use bans have been the simplest, however mentioned that if these have been applied in G20 international locations with out another measures, plastic consumption would nonetheless be one-and-a-half instances greater by 2050.
The world generated an extra 6 million tons of polluting single-use plastic in 2021 in comparison with 2019, in accordance with analysis in 2023 by the Minderoo Basis in Australia.
Steve Fletcher, a number one plastics knowledgeable on the College of Portsmouth in Britain, mentioned there was usually a “false distinction” between single-use plastics and people that are genuinely multi-use.
He mentioned there ought to be bans on plastics that lack a transparent function, are poisonous and can’t be reused or recycled.
How can plastic consumption be decreased?
Analysts say one of many challenges in terms of decreasing plastic consumption is how low-cost it’s to provide, because of fossil gas subsidies.
Fletcher mentioned extra monetary incentives are wanted to “degree the taking part in discipline” to make recycled plastics extra interesting, together with taxes on virgin plastic.
One other method to cut back plastic consumption is to introduce “system-wide shifts” in the direction of reuse, he mentioned.
This might embrace making merchandise reusable by design and creating processes – reminiscent of a sports activities stadium reusing cups and cutlery, very similar to how conventional milkmen reused glass bottles.
Does the world want a plastics treaty?
Given the worldwide nature of provide chains, analysts say native schemes alone could also be unsuccessful in slicing down on plastic, as provide chains can sidestep fragmented insurance policies.
A world treaty may, for instance, create steerage and requirements to assist international locations resolve which plastics are problematic and pointless.
The UN talks in South Korea have been imagined to be the ultimate spherical, however international locations will resume talks in 2025 to aim to get a deal over the road.
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