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 on Tuesday.
“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.
“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.
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.