World can slash plastic pollution by 80% by 2040, UN claims

31st May 2023


Plastic pollution can be slashed by 80% globally by 2040 if countries and companies make deep policy and market shifts using existing technologies, according to a report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

Reusing, recycling, and reorienting and diversifying products are the three main areas of focus needed to create a circular economy, the report says. For example, it states that promoting reuse options, including refillable bottles, bulk dispensers, deposit-return schemes and packaging take-back schemes, can reduce 30% of plastic pollution by 2040.

Cutting plastic pollution by an additional 20% can be achieved if recycling becomes a more stable and profitable venture, while careful replacement of products such as plastic wrappers, sachets and takeaway items with products made from alternative materials can deliver an extra 17% decrease.

However, even with these measures, 100 million metric tonnes of plastics from single-use and short-lived products will still need to be safely dealt with annually by 2040 – together with a significant legacy of existing plastic pollution.

The report states that this can be addressed by setting and implementing design and safety standards for disposing of non-recyclable plastic waste, and by making manufacturers responsible for products shedding microplastics, among other measures.

UNEP executive director Inger Andersen said: “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.”

Read the full report here: bit.ly/3W53G5l


Transform articles

OEP says government may have broken law on sewage dumping

The UK government and water regulators may have broken the law over untreated sewage discharges made last year, the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) has said today.

12th September 2023

Read more

The UK government has unveiled plans to relax “defective” EU-derived laws on nutrient pollution in order to boost house building.

30th August 2023

Read more

The UK government has announced that new rules to ensure packaging producers pay for the cost of recycling their products will be deferred by a year to October 2025.

26th July 2023

Read more

The majority of UK adults think that the phase out of petrol-fuelled cars is due to happen sooner than is actually the case, new polling has uncovered.

13th July 2023

Read more

Trailblazing eco-designers and ‘ideologists’ VIN + OMI speak to Adam Batchelor and Chris Seekings about their work promoting sustainability across the fashion industry and beyond

1st June 2023

Read more

Improvements in satellite monitoring are changing how we measure air quality, widening its potential to include regulation. Rick Gould investigates

1st June 2023

Read more

The global clothing industry is not only unfair but increasingly unsustainable. Huw Morris reports

1st June 2023

Read more

The Circularity Gap Report 2023 for the UK shows that from all the materials that flow through the UK’s economy, just 7.5% are used again, leaving a circularity gap of 92.5%.

31st May 2023

Read more

Media enquires

Looking for an expert to speak at an event or comment on an item in the news?

Find an expert