UNEP Report Highlights Alternatives for Single-Use Plastic Products

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The latest report published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) recommends alternatives for single-use plastic products, based on lifecycle assessment (LCA) studies.

According to the report, approximately 100-150 million tonnes of plastics are produced for manufacturing single-use plastic products. Also, nearly half of the total plastics produced are for single-use purposes. It recommends reducing the use of all categories of single-use plastic products. Instead, it calls for promotion use of reusable products, which it says, have lesser environmental impacts than single-use products.

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The report calls for involvement of all stakeholders in developing and implementing policy across the life-cycle of single-use plastic products. The establishment of dedicated teams and resources and proper monitoring and enforcement is another area of focus.

The initial part of the report presents a summary of meta-analyses that examine LCA studies conducted on single-use plastic products and their alternatives. The second part details actions taken by member states to address plastic pollution. In the final part, it shares case studies that demonstrate efforts by various countries in developing and implementing policies on single-use plastic products.