How we can tackle our plastic problem, according to the UN's Head of Environment

The document outlines the environmental impact of plastic pollution, projecting global production to reach 619 million tonnes by 2030. It argues that while individual and volunteer actions are valuable, the crisis requires 'upstream' changes, including government bans on single-use plastics and the implementation of extended producer responsibility to move away from a linear economy of planned obsolescence.

• Plastic pollution has reached a global scale, with up to 12 million tonnes entering oceans annually, affecting areas from the Mariana Trench to the high Arctic and Southern Ocean, and contaminating bottled water worldwide.
• Global plastic production is increasing rapidly, with estimates of 360 million tonnes in 2018, rising to nearly 500 million tonnes by 2025 and potentially 619 million tonnes by 2030.
• Addressing the crisis requires strong government intervention and policy changes to fill existing gaps, citing examples such as plastic bag bans in Panama and Kenya, and the EU's comprehensive plastics strategy.
• The author advocates for a transition from a linear model of planned obsolescence to a circular model of design and production, specifically through 'extended producer responsibility' where manufacturers are held accountable for the entire lifecycle of their products.

APA

Solheim, E. (2018). How we can tackle our plastic problem, according to the UN's Head of Environment. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/the-head-of-un-environment-on-how-we-can-tackle-plastic-pollution/

Chicago

Solheim, Erik. How we can tackle our plastic problem, according to the UN's Head of Environment. World Economic Forum, 2018. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/the-head-of-un-environment-on-how-we-can-tackle-plastic-pollution/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Solheim |first1=Erik |title=How we can tackle our plastic problem, according to the UN's Head of Environment |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=20 February 2018 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/the-head-of-un-environment-on-how-we-can-tackle-plastic-pollution/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{solheim2018how, author = {Solheim, Erik}, title = {{How we can tackle our plastic problem, according to the UN's Head of Environment}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2018}, month = feb, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/the-head-of-un-environment-on-how-we-can-tackle-plastic-pollution/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }