PLASTIC POLLUTION IS A GLOBAL CRISIS

The document describes the global plastic pollution crisis as a systemic failure driven by increasing production and inadequate waste management. It highlights the environmental and health impacts across land and sea, specifically noting that plastics are projected to account for nearly 20% of total oil consumption and over 10% of the global 1.5°C carbon budget by 2050. The author advocates for a legally binding international framework focusing on reducing production and consumption, eliminating toxic additives, rejecting 'false solutions' like waste-to-energy incineration, and investing in zero waste city models.

• Plastic pollution is driven by massive investment in production facilities, with an expected increase of 100 million tonnes per year by 2025, overwhelming downstream waste management systems, particularly since over 40% of plastics are used for single-use packaging.
• The environmental impact of plastics extends beyond the ocean, with over 95% of annual global plastic waste and microplastics remaining on land, creating economic and social crises for communities.
• The expansion of the plastics industry poses a significant threat to climate goals, with projections that by 2050, plastics will represent nearly 20% of total oil consumption and more than 10% of the annual global 1.5°C carbon budget.
• The author argues that a new global policy framework must include legally binding targets for reducing production and consumption, limiting toxic chemicals (such as flame retardants and phthalates), and rejecting 'false solutions' like waste-to-energy incineration and bioplastics.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (n.d.). PLASTIC POLLUTION IS A GLOBAL CRISIS. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/OEEG-3-Position_-Urgency-of-Plastic-Pollution-Crisis.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. PLASTIC POLLUTION IS A GLOBAL CRISIS. n.d. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/OEEG-3-Position_-Urgency-of-Plastic-Pollution-Crisis.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=PLASTIC POLLUTION IS A GLOBAL CRISIS |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/OEEG-3-Position_-Urgency-of-Plastic-Pollution-Crisis.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centerforinternationalenvironmentallawndplastic, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{PLASTIC POLLUTION IS A GLOBAL CRISIS}}, publisher = {Center for International Environmental Law}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/OEEG-3-Position_-Urgency-of-Plastic-Pollution-Crisis.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }