New report published on Monday has shown that plastic use in G20 countries will likely double by the middle of the century with the only solution been to agree a comprehensive and legally binding global treaty to curb consumption.
Published by Back to Blue, a research group run by the Economist Impact think-tank and the Nippon Foundation, the report says programmes to boost recycling or cut single-use plastic consumption only “scratched the surface” and a more comprehensive global plan is required to tackle it.
In November 2022, the United Nations kicked off negotiations in Uruguay as it seeks agreement from countries to tackle plastic pollution with the aim of drawing up a legally binding treaty by the end of 2024 and as many as 175 countries have signed up to the talks.
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Projections from current rates of growth shows annual plastic production in G20 countries could rise to 451 million tonnes by 2050, up nearly three-quarters from 2019, if negotiations fail, according to Back to Blue.
“There should be no illusions that the treaty negotiations will be anything but difficult and treacherous. The chances of failure – not just that no treaty emerges but one that is too weak to reverse the plastic tide – are considerable,” the research group said.
It therefore called for a more aggressive ban on single-use plastic together with higher production taxes and mandatory schemes to make firms responsible for the entire lifespan of their products, including recycling and disposal as combined measures could limit annual consumption to 325 million tonnes by 2050.
Among the G20 countries that have yet to introduce national bans on single-use plastic products are Brazil, the United States, Indonesia and Turkey, the report said.
Story was adapted from Reuters.
