According to the new Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), global plastic waste production is projected to nearly triple by 2060. The report further elaborates that the increase will be primarily driven by economic and population growth, with significant increases expected from the developing nations of the sub- African and Asian regions.
“If we want the world that is free of plastic pollution, in line with the ambitions of the United Nations Environment Assembly we will need to take much more stringent and globally coordinated actions,” Mathias Cormann, OECD secretary-general mentioned in a statement.
“This report proposes concrete policies that can be implemented along the lifecycle of plastics that could significantly curb- and even eliminate- plastic leakage into the environment,” he added.
Today, ahead of #WorldEnvironmentDay & #OECDMinisterial, the @OECD releases new #PlasticsOutlook report: Policy Scenarios to 2060 📈
The report builds on Feb 2022 report & looks at 2060 projections in #plastic waste 🥤
More info ➡️ https://t.co/Jrym0V9ttS pic.twitter.com/NIqX06jKY5
— OECD Environment (@OECD_ENV) June 3, 2022
The report observes that even with radical action to curb demand and improve efficiencies, plastic production would nearly double in the next 40 years or less.
As a consequence, around half will end up in landfills while less than a fifth will be recycled. As the report projects, the share of plastic that eludes the waste management systems falls approximately by 5% and ends up in “uncontrolled dumpsites.”
Although most plastic pollution happens due to the inadequate collection and disposal of the larger plastic debris, often known as microplastic, the leakage of microplastic has devastating impacts on the environment.
Lack of infrastructure to prevent plastic pollution in many countries, like sanitary landfills; recycling capacity and circular economy infrastructure; proper waste disposal systems, etc., results in plastic leakage into the water bodies.
Additionally, the study analyses possible scenarios, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions to reduce plastic pollution, keeping in mind the interaction between climate change, fossil fuels, and plastic lifecycles.