{"id":565,"date":"2025-02-25T13:08:33","date_gmt":"2025-02-25T14:08:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.goldmineglobalng.com\/?p=565"},"modified":"2025-03-06T14:12:24","modified_gmt":"2025-03-06T14:12:24","slug":"the-state-of-plastic-waste-a-global-overview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.goldmineglobalng.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/25\/the-state-of-plastic-waste-a-global-overview\/","title":{"rendered":"The State of Plastic Waste: A Global Overview"},"content":{"rendered":"
\u00a0<\/div>\n

\"plastic<\/h4>\n

Mass-produced plastic has changed the world for better or worse, Jessica Bradley explores how plastic has reshaped the Earth and what the global landscape currently looks like.<\/h4>\n

In some ways, plastic has been a modern miracle \u2013 it\u2019s durable, lightweight, strong, and low-cost, to name a few of its attributes.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s no wonder then that since we started mass-producing plastic<\/a> in the 1950s, society has gradually become reliant on the material and is now overwhelmed by it.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s in the clothes we wear, the packaging in our homes, the transport we rely on, and an overwhelming number of the everyday products we use and enjoy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Global plastics production and consumption has doubled<\/a> over the past two decades \u2013 and it\u2019s expected to triple by 2060 \u2013 but the consequences of our insatiable appetite for plastic are having many devastating consequences.<\/p>\n

Less than 10% of all the plastic<\/a> that\u2019s ever been made has been recycled \u2013 partly, because a lot of plastics are difficult to recycle, and also because some countries have poor or no waste management.<\/p>\n

The production of plastic is also hugely carbon intensive \u2013 globally, plastics were responsible for around 1.7 Gt of greenhouse gas emissions<\/a> in 2015.<\/p>\n

\u201cGreenhouse gases are released at every stage of the plastic life cycle, from extraction to production, trade, use, recycling and end-of-life phases,\u201d says Lynn Sorrentino, programme officer, plastics at IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The global impact of plastic waste<\/h2>\n

\"GlobalMost plastics don\u2019t degrade; they fragment into microplastics and nanoplastics, which are having detrimental effects on human, animal and planetary health.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlastic pollution is pervasive \u2013 it\u2019s everywhere on earth, from the Arctic to soil and the air we breathe,\u201d says Elena Buzzi, environmental policy analyst on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s<\/a> (OECD) circular economy team.<\/p>\n

Exposure to plastic pollution, including micro-and nano-plastics, severely impacts biodiversity and the health and resilience of all ecosystems.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlastic pollution significantly reduces ecosystem resilience to climate change and the ability to benefit from disaster risk reduction, as well as amplifying all aspects of the triple planetary crisis,\u201d says Lynn Sorrentino, programme officer, plastics at IUCN \u2013 referring to climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss.<\/p>\n

Communities in the Global South and small island developing sits (SIDS), she says, are disproportionately impacted by the effects of plastic pollution. This is part of the huge economic cost of plastic pollution.<\/p>\n

Studies suggest that the cost to global marine<\/a> ecosystems is more than \u20ac11 billion. In Europe alone, removing plastic waste from beaches and coasts is estimated to cost around \u20ac630 million every year.<\/p>\n

Plastic pollution also presents risks to human health. Microplastics can make their way into food and through the human body and have even been found in the human placenta and breastmilk.<\/p>\n

Recent research suggests that the levels of microplastics in our brains<\/a> could be rising rapidly too. Studies show microplastics accumulate in organs and can lead to biological changes, including inflammation.<\/p>\n

One analysis of studies<\/a> found suspected human health risks from microplastic exposure in three body systems: digestive, reproductive, and respiratory.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe smaller particles [of microplastics] mean there\u2019s a higher likelihood they can interfere with biological functions,\u201d says Buzzi.<\/p>\n

The effects on the environment are also caused by events further up the lifecycle of plastics. Buzzi says processes and extracting the resources needed to produce plastic also use fossil fuels.<\/p>\n

She says: \u201cPlastic has a range of impacts all along the life cycle, and degrades throughout its use, production and recycling phase, so it releases microplastics that also contribute to pollution levels.\u201d<\/p>\n

Research is ongoing, Buzzi says, but there isn\u2019t yet peer-reviewed evidence regarding the exact levels of plastic pollution exposure that pose risks to human health.<\/p>\n

However, scientists recommend that action is taken to slow down our exposure to prevent long-term effects.<\/p>\n

Microplastics aren\u2019t the only risk associated with plastics. Phthalates \u2013 chemicals that are added to plastics \u2013 have been linked to a higher risk of preterm birth, and scientists warn that exposure can affect the immune and reproductive systems.<\/p>\n

What are the solutions to plastic problems?\u00a0<\/h2>\n

\"Plastic<\/p>\n

The global aim of reducing plastic pollution is to move towards the principles of a circular economy for plastic, which will fuel the nascent trend, in Europe at least, of a higher uptake<\/a> of recycled materials and a decrease in plastic consumption.<\/p>\n

This means ending plastic pollution will require huge innovations and improvements in waste management systems to improve the capacity to process plastic waste, many experts say.<\/p>\n

The initial important step is being able to consistently and effectively differentiate between plastic waste and scrap plastic for secondary production, to ensure that plastic waste doesn\u2019t end up sitting in dump sites or floating in oceans and rivers, says Rob Delink, senior economist at the OECD.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first major thing we need to do is tease out more clearly the composition of waste, and to what extent we can recover plastics or energy,\u201d he says.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In recent years, technologies have been emerging to help tackle plastic pollution at the source, including systems to collect and\u00a0remove plastic waste from oceans and rivers, using methods such as passive drift systems and autonomous surface vessels, to trap and collect plastic debris.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Additionally, there has been a growing focus on technologies that can plastic waste. Many technologies are emerging to help prevent plastic waste, such as Ecobricks<\/a> which allows people to repurpose plastic waste into building blocks and plastic roads, which incorporate recycled plastic waste into the asphalt mix.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Internal cooperation is also central to improving waste management because the capacity to handle plastic waste differs widely between countries, Delink says.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Making sure that less waste needs collecting, and investing in recycling more waste and improving sorting practices, is the best approach environmentally, he says.<\/p>\n

\n

If we don\u2019t close the tap of producing more plastics, waste management systems might be overstretched.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

However, Delink adds, we won\u2019t be able to end plastic pollution if we only look at the end product.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Dutch, we have a saying: mopping with the tap open,\u201d he says. \u201cIf we don\u2019t close the tap of producing more plastics, waste management systems might be overstretched.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, not all biodegradable plastics can be composted in<\/a> the same way, which can present financial restrictions for some recycling plants. In addition, these materials only degrade in specific conditions which means they can be just as polluting to marine life.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The higher costs of some plastic alternatives can be prohibitive for consumers \u2013 but Deling points out, that this is largely because plastics are artificially cheap by ignoring impacts on the environment.\u00a0<\/p>\n

However, developing alternatives to plastic, and knowing how to nudge consumers\u2019 behaviour, will require more clarity around alternatives to plastic, experts argue.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It isn\u2019t as simple as swapping plastic for alternatives, says Deling, because the environmental impact of substitutes isn\u2019t always zero.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s missing is the decision about what impacts we\u2019re talking about, and the lifecycle impact of alternatives, such as glass,\u201d he says.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cGlass is good for reuse, but if you only reuse it once (and) then discard it, the impact is even higher. We need to understand the full lifecycle of substitutes for plastic.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do need alternatives, but we need to be careful we don\u2019t substitute something bad with something worse.\u201d<\/p>\n

Buzzi emphasises that it isn\u2019t enough to just switch from single-use plastics to alternatives.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to move to new systems to ensure whatever materials we\u2019re using will be reused multiple times,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we look at waste and what use we can make of it \u2013 recycling or energy recovery \u2013 a lot will depend on how it\u2019s been designed and what materials it contains.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important, she adds, to support innovation into producing plastics that are easier to manage and less harmful to the environment, and enable some of the solutions we want to see later on in the lifecycle.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had 50, 60 years of plastic, and countless types of plastic and chemicals have additives in them,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Will we ever see an end to plastic pollution?<\/h2>\n

The production of plastic has grown exponentially since the 1950s, and in recent years, governments around the world have made efforts to curb plastic pollution. But there\u2019s a growing recognition of the importance of international cohesion in this regard.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And while there\u2019s more and more innovation allowing plastic to be repurposed, experts say there is a long way to go until there is something resembling a circular economy for plastics in place internationally.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Reducing the amount and impact of plastic pollution requires significant action across the lifecycle of plastic, including manufacturers, retailers and consumers. But while there is a long way to go, some experts are optimistic that we could have a future without plastic pollution<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The post The State of Plastic Waste: A Global Overview<\/a> appeared first on Circular Online<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 Mass-produced plastic has changed the world for better or worse, Jessica Bradley explores how plastic has reshaped the Earth and what the global landscape currently looks like. In some ways, plastic has been a modern miracle \u2013 it\u2019s durable, lightweight, strong, and low-cost, to name a few of its…<\/p>\n

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