The update comes as the talks on the UN Plastic Treaty are currently underway in Geneva.
Key Highlights
- Rising Global Plastic production and Trade: Mainly for single use, grew from 2 million metric tonnes (MMT) in 1950 to 436 MMT in 2022.
- Of this, only 10% is recycled and nearly 75% becomes waste.
- Rising Plastic Trade: Over 78% plastic produced was traded internationally (2022).
- Absence of International Agreements: Like for biodiversity (Convention on Biological Diversity) and climate change (Paris Agreement).
- Untapped Potential: Bio based and Compostable Plastics though available in many countries constitute only 1.5% of the global plastic production.
- Policy Issues: While tariffs on plastic and rubber products reduced from 34% to 7.2% over past 30 years, the same for alternatives like bamboo, paper, etc., remains around 14.4%.
Way Forward
- Sector Based Reforms: Example tackling single use plastics through targeted bans like taxes and plastics with long life span (E.g.., road construction) through better R&D, and product design.
- Strengthen Plastic Data Systems: To improve transparency and comparability across its life cycle.
- Synergies with related Frameworks: Like Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions.
Measures to curb Plastic Pollution
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