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The report assesses the economic burden of single-use plastics on Canada's waste systems and ecosystems, highlighting a critical lack of item-level data. It advocates for the use of volumetric measurements in waste audits and introduces a Plastic Waste Cost Calculator to help municipalities estimate and compare management costs across various waste streams.

The study finds that Canadian municipalities spend millions annually managing single-use plastic (SUP) waste, though specific costs are often undertracked. Plastics comprise approximately 15% of both garbage and recycling streams by weight. The report highlights significant data gaps for items like vaping devices and tampon applicators, which are frequently found in wastewater screenings but rarely in solid waste audits. Environmental analysis shows cigarette butts are the most abundant SUP by count, while bottles and cups dominate by mass. A critical economic finding is the potential risk to Canadian agriculture, where microplastic pollution could lead to annual crop production value losses between CAD 0.5 and 2.16 billion. To address these issues, the authors developed a Plastic Waste Cost Calculator for local authorities and recommend transitioning to volumetric waste measurements and establishing a universal flushability standard for wipes.

The study evaluates the financial and environmental burden of eight common single-use plastics in Canada. It finds a significant lack of consistent data across municipalities, with costs often underestimated because they are based on weight rather than the high volume these plastics occupy. The report highlights that cigarette butts are the most frequent litter item, while plastic bottles and cups generate substantial management costs. It also estimates that microplastic pollution could risk between 0.5 and 2.16 billion CAD annually in Canadian agricultural production for wheat and corn. To address these gaps, the authors developed a 'Plastic Waste Cost Calculator' tool for local authorities and recommend shifting toward volumetric waste measurement and standardized data collection.

ClientEarth warns FMCG companies that relying on recycling is insufficient to mitigate legal risks and urges a shift toward upstream plastic reduction. The document details risks from mandatory due diligence laws, product liability for health harms, and anti-greenwashing enforcement, specifically targeting misleading 'recyclable' claims. It also highlights the impact of the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) on plastic-related disclosures.

The document reports on Phase 1 of a project to reduce single-use foodware in Winnipeg, MB. Through surveys of 26 food-service businesses and 50 customers, it finds a high level of awareness and willingness to transition to reusables, though significant barriers exist regarding cost, convenience, and communication. It recommends the adoption of a city-wide reusable foodware program, increased incentives for 'Bring Your Own' (BYO) practices, and government guidance on sustainable procurement.

The global economy consumes approximately 100 billion metric tons of resources annually, with 75% coming from non-renewable sources. While the European Union leads in circular economy policy, global resource productivity has stalled since 2000, and the world must reduce per capita material consumption from 12.6 metric tons in 2022 to below 5 metric tons by 2050 to ensure sustainability. Significant disparities exist in consumption, with the top 25% of the population using 52% of the world's resources. Despite some progress in municipal waste recycling—averaging 35% across OECD countries—and the regulation of single-use products in 75 countries, systemic changes in product design and corporate monitoring are required to decouple economic growth from resource extraction.

The report examines how G20 nations, which generate approximately two-thirds of global plastic waste, can utilize extended producer responsibility (EPR) to combat marine plastic pollution. Through a scoping review of 100 sources, it identifies a disparity in effectiveness between mandatory and voluntary EPR schemes, noting that mandatory systems generally achieve higher recycling collection rates. The document provides a detailed mapping of EPR regulations across G20 members and proposes a multi-level approach combining legislative strengthening, market incentives for recycled plastics, technological innovation in ecodesign, and the formal integration of informal waste workers to prevent plastic leakage into the oceans.

The European plastic industry is facing a structural decline characterized by falling production and facility closures due to overcapacity and weak demand. While the industry blames EU regulations for a loss of competitiveness, the document argues that reducing production is the most sensible economic approach. It urges the EU to use its leadership role in the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations to advocate for primary plastic production limits and a managed phasedown to sustainable levels, while avoiding new petrochemical buildouts.

The Transparent 2024 report by WWF International reviews five years of progress among ReSource: Plastic members. Key findings show a collective reduction of 221,000 metric tons of virgin fossil-based plastic relative to baseline years and an increase in recycled content to 14.5% of the aggregate portfolio by 2023. However, the report notes that progress is incremental, with reusable packaging accounting for only 0.8% of the portfolio. Waste management modeling estimates that 16% of the members' plastic footprint is mismanaged globally, with China and India identified as the countries with the highest total tonnage of mismanaged waste. The report concludes that voluntary corporate action is insufficient and advocates for a legally binding global treaty on plastic pollution to mandate standards and drive systemic change.

TESS proposes the creation of a global online repository for trade-related policy measures (TrPMs) and the establishment of domestic inter-ministerial coordination mechanisms to address plastic pollution. The organization is developing a guide for World Bank client countries on trade policies for plastic reduction (due December 2024) and a policy paper with QUNO on environmentally sound plastic waste management technologies. TESS also encourages the DPP to support HS code amendments to improve transparency in the trade flows of single-use plastics and unnecessary packaging.

A letter from six organizations to President Biden supporting the U.S. goal to phase out federal purchasing of single-use plastics by 2035 and calling for a global reduction target for primary plastic production. The authors encourage the U.S. to sign the Bridge to Busan declaration and attend a high-level event hosted by the President of Kenya on September 25th to build momentum for the fifth intergovernmental negotiating committee meeting (INC-5).

The report analyzes 21 policy measures from 14 WTO members that triggered trade concerns, categorizing these frictions into six types: timing and implementation, transparency, absence of stakeholder engagement, proportionality, justification, and discrimination. It provides specific regulatory recommendations to ensure that environmental measures targeting plastics do not create unnecessary trade barriers.

The petrochemical industry is a growing driver of global oil demand and greenhouse gas emissions, with nitrogen fertilisers and plastics as primary contributors. Rapid capacity expansion, particularly in China, is projected to increase emissions beyond 1.5°C warming limits. While technical solutions and recycling are proposed, the low cost of virgin plastics and the limitations of 'downcycling' hinder progress, suggesting that policy should prioritise reuse and the reduction of single-use materials over simple substitution or recycling.

The WWF Blueprint for Credible Action on Plastic Pollution outlines a strategic framework for businesses to move from measuring their plastic impact to investing in systemic circular solutions. It emphasizes the elimination of unnecessary plastics, the shift to sustainable sourcing, and the importance of advocating for a legally binding global treaty to end plastic pollution.

Friends of the Earth International calls for an ambitious, legally binding global plastics treaty that covers the full lifecycle of plastics. The statement highlights the link between plastics and fossil fuel interests, the injustice of waste colonialism where rich nations export plastic waste to the Global South, and the need for production limits. It provides examples of grassroots resistance to petrochemical expansion in the US, waste reduction efforts in El Salvador, legal challenges to industry influence in Canada, and the essential role of informal waste pickers in Argentina.

Friends of the Earth International advocates for a comprehensive global plastics treaty that targets the full life cycle of plastics. The statement highlights the link between plastics and the fossil fuel industry, the issue of 'waste colonialism' where rich nations export plastic waste to the Global South, and the need to include production limits. It provides examples of grassroots resistance to petrochemical expansion in the US, waste reduction efforts in El Salvador, legal battles against industry influence in Canada, and the essential role of waste pickers in Argentina.

WWF proposes a 'start then strengthen' approach for the global Plastic Pollution Treaty, focusing on five priority plastic applications for reuse: prefilled beverage bottles, takeaway food and beverage containers, on-site single-use products, consumer delivery packaging, and B2B closed-loop packaging. The report advocates for binding global reuse targets, harmonised definitions, and minimum performance standards for both products and systems to prevent 'reuse in name only'. It emphasizes that a global treaty is necessary to overcome market failures and high start-up costs that hinder individual business adoption of reuse systems. Recommended implementation tools include Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes, deposit return systems (DRS), and multilateral funding to support a just transition, particularly for low-income countries and informal waste pickers.

A group of environmental organizations urges the Biden administration to implement a national strategy to end plastic pollution by 2040, citing a low national residential recycling rate of 21% and the threat of plastic waste tripling in oceans by 2040. The letter proposes five key areas for action: establishing national reduction targets, advancing a circular economy through Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), improving waste infrastructure, prioritizing environmental justice, and advocating for a legally binding global plastics agreement.

The report details how the plastics industry promoted recycling as a false solution to plastic waste despite knowing it was technically and economically unviable. It outlines a history of industry tactics, from promoting disposability in the 1950s to the current promotion of 'advanced recycling' as a means to avoid bans and maintain virgin plastic production.

WWF advocates for a binding global treaty to end plastic pollution, emphasizing the need for global bans on harmful plastics, mandatory product design requirements for a non-toxic circular economy, aligned financial flows, and flexible decision-making mechanisms to strengthen the treaty over time.