Confronting the Plastic Pollution Pandemic

The document examines the systemic failure of plastic recycling and the environmental and health impacts of plastic pollution. It evaluates the potential for a new global treaty versus voluntary measures and highlights the link between plastic production and fossil fuel demand.

• Plastic pollution has widespread environmental and health impacts, including the ingestion of plastic by marine life and the presence of microplastics in human food and drinking water. A 2019 WWF-commissioned study estimated that humans consume approximately five grams of plastic per week.
• The plastics recycling industry is described as largely unsuccessful, with one assessment indicating that only 9% of all plastic ever produced has been recycled. The process is limited because plastic's chemical composition weakens each time it is heated, meaning it can only be recycled a few times before becoming a useless synthetic.
• There is a significant link between plastic production and the oil and gas industry. The IEA estimates that the growth in demand for petrochemicals, including plastics, will account for nearly 50% of global oil demand growth by 2050, and the plastic industry could represent 20% of total world oil consumption by that date.
• The document evaluates the trade-offs between a new global treaty on plastic pollution and existing voluntary measures like the G7 Ocean Plastics Charter or G20 Osaka Blue Ocean Vision. A treaty would offer inclusivity and the ability to address plastic before it becomes waste, whereas voluntary measures may allow for higher individual country ambition but only include a small group of nations.
• The Basel Convention took a major legally binding step in 2019 by amending its annexes to control the transboundary movement of plastic waste. Effective January 2021, exporting certain plastic wastes requires the prior informed consent of the importing state.
• The global trade in plastic waste was disrupted in 2018 when China, the world's largest importer of plastic waste, banned such imports, leading other Asian countries to also turn down waste imports.
• Alternative uses for plastic waste are being tested, including its use as an ingredient in road construction in India and the Netherlands, as well as its use in concrete for construction.

APA

Kantai,, T. (2020). Confronting the Plastic Pollution Pandemic. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/confronting-plastic-pollution-pandemic

Chicago

Kantai,, Tallash. Confronting the Plastic Pollution Pandemic. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2020. https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/confronting-plastic-pollution-pandemic.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kantai, |first1=Tallash |title=Confronting the Plastic Pollution Pandemic |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=22 December 2020 |url=https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/confronting-plastic-pollution-pandemic |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kantai2020confronting, author = {Kantai,, Tallash}, title = {{Confronting the Plastic Pollution Pandemic}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2020}, month = dec, url = {https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/confronting-plastic-pollution-pandemic}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }