The United Nations report states that plastic pollution may decrease by 80% by 2040
According to a new report by the United Nations Environment Programme, if countries and businesses use existing technologies to make profound changes in policies and markets, plastic pollution can be reduced by 80% by 2040. This report was released before the second round of global plastic pollution agreement negotiations held in Paris, outlining the scale and nature of the changes needed to end plastic pollution and create a circular economy.
Turning off the faucet: How the world ends plastic pollution and creates a circular economy is a concrete practice that focuses on solutions, market changes, and policy analysis, providing information for government thinking and business actions.
The way we produce, use, and handle plastic pollution
Even with the above measures taken, by 2040, it is still necessary to safely dispose of 100 million tons of disposable, short-lived plastic annually, as well as the serious legacy of existing plastic pollution. This can be solved by developing and implementing design and safety standards for non recyclable plastic waste treatment, as well as manufacturers removing microplastics from their products.
Overall, considering the cost and revenue of recycling, the transition to a circular economy will save $1.27 trillion. An additional $3.25 trillion will be used to avoid external factors such as health, climate, air pollution, marine ecosystem degradation, and litigation costs. This change may also result in a net increase of 700000 jobs by 2040.
