Plastic pollution can be reduced by 80% in 2040 – UNEP

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) revealed on Tuesday a new report Turning off the Tap which shows that it is possible to reduce plastic pollution by 80 percent by 2040.

In its new report, UNEP discusses the environmental and economic costs of plastic pollution, adding that about 139 million metric tons of single use plastic waste were produced in 2021. Besides, the production is expected to triple by 2060 if no serious measures were taken.

Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director explained that their current consumption and disposal of plastic “… is creating risks for human health and destabilizing the climate.”

Suggested solutions include reusing and recycling plastic, in addition to reorienting and diversifying plastic markets. Transitioning into an economy with recycled and reused plastic could save around $3.25 trillion by 2040, the report estimated.

Furthermore, cutting 80 percent of plastic would save 0.5 billion tons of planet-warming carbon pollution annually.

The report concludes with recommending the establishment of “international policies to… create an economy of scale for solutions, and establish monitoring systems and financing mechanisms.”