UN Roadmap Calls For Policy Shifts to Cut Plastic Pollution

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The new report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) released yesterday suggests effective ways to reduce plastic pollution. The report lays a roadmap to reduce the risks of plastic pollution by adopting a circular approach.

According to the report, the use of existing technologies by governments and companies across the world to make significant policy shifts and market adjustments could cut plastic pollution by up to 80% by 2040.

The way plastics are produced, used and disposed of pollute the entire ecosystem, thereby creating risks for human health and climate, said Inger Anderson, Executive Director, UNEP. The risks can only be thwarted by adopting a circular approach that keeps plastics out of the economy. The UNEP report outlines the magnitude of changes required to create a sustainable circular economy and end plastic pollution.

The UNEP suggests setting up and implementation of proper design and safety standards for disposing of non-recyclable plastic waste and making manufacturers responsible for products shedding microplastics. The shift to a circular economy could result in trillions of dollars in savings, it noted.

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