NEW DELHI: Plastic pollution could reduce by 80 per cent by 2040 if countries and companies make deep policy and market shifts using existing technologies, a new report by UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said on Tuesday. The report was released ahead of a second round of negotiations in Paris on a global agreement to beat plastic pollution. It outlines the magnitude and nature of the changes required to end plastic pollution and create a circular economy.
‘Turning off the Tap: How the world can end plastic pollution and create a circular economy’ is a solutions-focused analysis of concrete practices, market shifts, and policies that can inform government thinking and business action.
“The way we produce, use and dispose of plastics is polluting ecosystems, creating risks for human health and destabilising the climate,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director, UNEP, adding: “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.”
To slash plastic pollution by 80 per cent globally by 2040, the report suggests first eliminating problematic and unnecessary plastics to reduce the size of the problem. Subsequently, the report calls for three market shifts — reuse, recycle, and reorient and diversify products. Reuse: Promoting reuse options, including refillable bottles, bulk dispensers, deposit-return schemes, packaging take-back schemes etc. can reduce 30 per cent of plastic pollution by 2040. To realise its potential, governments must help build a stronger business case for reusables. (IANS)
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