Plastic pollution could drop by 80 percent by 2040 if countries and companies make deep policy and market shifts using existing technologies, a new report by UN Environment Program said.
The report, released ahead of a second round of negotiations in Paris on a global agreement to beat plastic pollution, outlines the magnitude and nature of the changes required to end plastic pollution and create a circular economy.
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“The way we produce, use and dispose of plastics is polluting ecosystems, creating risks for human health and destabilizing the climate,” said Inger Andersen, UNEP executive director. “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. If we follow this roadmap, including in negotiations on the plastic pollution deal, we can deliver major economic, social and environmental wins.”
The report recommended the elimination of problematic and unnecessary plastics to reduce the size of the problem in order to cut pollution by 80 percent globally by 2040. The report calls for three market shifts—reuse, recycle and reorient and diversify products.
The report said promoting reuse options, including refillable bottles, bulk dispensers, deposit-return-schemes and packaging take-back schemes, can reduce 30 per cent of plastic pollution by 2040. To realize its potential, governments must help build a stronger business case for reusables.
It said lowering plastic pollution by an additional 20-percent by 2040 can be achieved if recycling becomes a more stable and profitable venture. Removing fossil fuels subsidies, enforcing design guidelines to enhance recyclability, and other measures would increase the share of economically recyclable plastics from 21 to 50 percent.
The UNEP report added that careful replacement of products such as plastic wrappers, sachets and takeaway items with products made from alternative materials (such as paper or compostable materials) can deliver an additional 17-percent decrease in plastic pollution.
The report noted that even with these measures 100 million metric tons of plastics from single-use and short-lived products will still need to be safely dealt with annually by 2040—along with a significant legacy of existing plastic pollution. This can be addressed by setting and implementing design and safety standards for disposing of non-recyclable plastic waste, and by making manufacturers responsible for products shedding micro-plastics
The report said the shift to a circular economy would result in US$1.27 trillion in savings, considering costs and recycling revenues. A further $3.25 trillion would be saved from other effects such as health, climate, air pollution, marine ecosystem degradation and litigation-related costs.
The shift could also result in a net increase of 700,000 jobs by 2040, mostly in low-income countries, significantly improving the livelihoods of millions of workers in informal settings.
The UNEP said investment costs for the systemic change are significant, but below the spending without it: $65 billion per year as opposed to $113 billion per year. Much of this can be mobilized by shifting planned investments for new production facilities –no longer needed through reduction in material needs–or a levy on virgin plastic production into the necessary circular infrastructure.
The report said a five-year delay may lead to an increase of 80 million metric tons of plastic pollution by 2040. UNEP News