Reducing Plastic Usage and Pollution: Strategies for a Cleaner World | Eco-Business News

Plastic pollution is a global crisis, with emerging economies facing particular challenges due to a lack of sophisticated recycling processes. Experts suggest that implementing schemes like Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) could help hold plastic producers accountable for the end of a product’s life cycle, ultimately reducing plastic waste.

The debate over whether to ban single-use plastics is ongoing, with the Back to Blue report highlighting the effectiveness of such bans. However, the report also warns that without additional measures, plastic consumption could still increase significantly by 2050. In 2021 alone, the world generated an additional 6 million tons of single-use plastic compared to 2019, according to research by the Minderoo Foundation.

Plastics expert Steve Fletcher emphasizes the need for bans on plastics that lack a clear purpose and cannot be reused or recycled. He also calls for financial incentives to make recycled plastics more appealing and taxes on virgin plastic to level the playing field.

Efforts to reduce plastic consumption include promoting reuse through design and implementing system-wide shifts towards reusable products. Additionally, there is growing support for a global plastics treaty to provide guidance and standards for countries to tackle plastic pollution effectively.

As countries work towards a potential UN plastics treaty, the hope is that a coordinated global effort will be more effective in reducing plastic waste than fragmented local policies. With the stakes high and the need urgent, the world is looking towards innovative solutions to address the plastic pollution crisis.