A balance of the fight against plastic pollution

The countries of the G7 pledged to reduce to zero their plastic pollution by 2040, pending a new round of negotiations in Paris in May with a view to a binding treaty of the UN by 2024.

Below, a balance on the fight to reduce the footprint of plastic in the environment.

An international treaty in 2024?

The G7 countries (the United States, Japan, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy and Canada) have committed to reducing their plastic pollution to zero by 2040, through a circular economy and the reduction or abandonment of disposable plastics and not recyclable.

On the other hand, 175 countries agreed to end global plastic pollution by drawing up a legally binding treaty within the UN framework by the end of 2024. The next negotiation session on the subject is scheduled for May in Paris.

Among the proposed measures are the global ban on single-use plastic items, introduction of a system of “whoever pollutes pays” and a tax on the production of new plastic.

How much plastic is produced in the world?

Global plastic production doubled between 2000 and 2019, from 234 to 460 million tons (Mt), according to a February 2022 report from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Likewise, the production of plastic waste more than doubled, up to 353 Mt in 2019.

In that same year, 22 million tons of plastic were dumped into the environment, including 6 Mt in rivers, lakes and oceans, according to the OECD. plastics represent “at least 85% of the total marine litter”according to the UN.

Where is the plastic produced?

In 2020, more than half of all plastics came from Asia.

China’s production alone represents a third of the world total (32%). In the decade 2010-2020, it shot up 82%, from 64 Mt to 117 Mt per year, while global growth was around 30%, according to a Plastics Europe report.

How will production grow?

According to estimates from a WWF report from September 2021, global plastic production will double by 2040 and “it will accelerate the climate crisis.”

If current trends continue, the use of plastics will almost double by 2050 compared to 2019 levels in the G20 countries, reaching 451 million tons per year, an Economist Impact report estimated in February 2022.

What solutions besides recycling?

Globally, only 9% of plastic waste (that is, 33 million tons) was recycled in 2019, according to the OECD.

In addition to recycling, NGOs like Zero Waste call for a reduction in the use of plastics to reduce global production and the development of alternatives “to extend the life of the products”explains Juliette Franquet, head of the NGO.

The production of bio-based plastics is also seen as a way to reduce the use of oil, but it only represents a tiny part of the industry.