The global plastic crisis and how to tackle its growing hazards

Because of its ease of use and application in a wide range of sectors and activities, the production of plastics has grown rapidly from just 2 million tonnes in 1950 to around 430 million tonnes in 2022. It is projected to cross a billion tonnes by the year 2060. Two-thirds of the plastics produced annually are short-lived products.

The plastics industry’s contribution to global and national economies is quite significant. For instance, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) estimates the global trade in plastics to be about one trillion US dollars every year, or about 5 per cent of the total merchandise trade.

Around 9 million people are employed in polymer production and plastic processing industries. If we add those employed in the informal sector, such as waste collectors and recycle shops, that collect and recycle plastic products, this number will be higher. The plastics industry is one of the largest manufacturing industries in the US, generating $451 billion per year in shipments and employing about one million people directly and another 1.5 million indirectly.

About 350 million tonnes of plastic waste are generated every year. Of this, about 67 per cent is municipal solid waste consisting of short-lived plastics; the automobile and textile sector contribute 11 per cent each; and the remaining 11 per cent is from building and construction, electrical/electronic and other sectors. Less than 10 per cent of the plastic waste is recycled, about 15 per cent is incinerated, while the remaining is dumped either in landfills, on land, or in rivers, lakes and oceans.

Plastic pollution is hazardous for humans, species, and the environment. A study estimated that between 400,000 to one million people die every year due to plastic pollution. Wild animals, cattle, birds, aquatic and marine animals die by ingesting plastic waste.

Experts suggest that around one lakh marine mammals, such as whales, dolphins, seals, turtles, die every year due to marine plastic pollution. Every year, about one million sea birds die due to ingestion of microplastics or getting entangled in plastic debris. A news report in DH (March 4, 2021) revealed that veterinarians who operated on an ailing pregnant cow found 71 kg of plastics, nails and other wastes in its stomach. Both the cow and unborn calf died later.

Plastic can take several centuries to decompose and emit harmful pollutants, which degrade the environment and lives. The burning of plastic and other wastes in the open, resulting in the emission of highly toxic gases, is quite common in India, including in Bengaluru. Plastic waste has been found in the deepest recesses of the oceans, on pristine mountain tops, on land, in rivers and lakes. It has adversely impacted biodiversity on land and in the seas.

Plastic pollution increases the risk of cancers and global warming. Traces of microplastics have been found in breast milk, tap water and the bloodstream of humans.  

A study conducted in 2017 found that 83% of tap water samples from around the world contained plastic pollutants. The US, Lebanon and India reported the highest incidence of contamination of tap water due to plastic pollution. A report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) states that under a business-as-usual scenario, plastics will contribute about 19% of the greenhouse-gas emissions (GHG) emissions by 2040.

Plastic waste has been found in all oceans and at all depths. An estimated 11 million tonnes of plastic enter the oceans every year, which is projected to triple in the next two decades. Between 1970 and 2019, about 30 million tonnes of plastic waste is estimated to have accumulated in the oceans and over 100 million tonnes in rivers and lakes. Plastic accounts for 85% of the marine litter and aggravated marine pollution and marine biodiversity. Some studies suggest that by the year 2050, we may find more plastic in the seas than fish.  

According to a 2023 UNEP report on ‘Turning off the tap - How the world can end plastic pollution and create a circular economy,’ the annual social and environmental costs of plastic pollution are estimated between $300 and $600 billion per year, with some suggesting it to be still higher at around $1.5 trillion per year. 

To tackle plastic pollution, the report proposes a systematic change by relying on a 3R strategy: ‘Reuse, Recycle, and Reorient’ and diversify as well as tackle the legacy of plastic pollution.

The report states that these measures could lead to an 80% reduction in plastic pollution and a net increase of 7 lakh jobs by the year 2040. It will also improve livelihoods for millions in the informal sector and encourage innovation. Apart from reducing annual GHG emissions by 0.5 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, it could lead to savings of $1.3 trillion in direct public and private costs between 2021 and 2040 and avoid $3.3 trillion of environment and social costs due to plastic pollution.

Increasing taxes on plastics and plastic packaging; giving incentives to reuse and repair plastic items; mandating targets for recycled content in new plastic products; giving incentives for sustainable plastic alternatives, providing extended producer responsibility schemes; improving waste management infrastructure and hiking litter collection rates are among measures to address the plastic waste problem and transit to a circular economy.

An OECD study suggests that stringent policies and regulations implemented worldwide could decrease plastic waste by a third and almost eliminate plastic leakage to the environment. Although this will lower global GDP by an estimated 0.8 per cent, the social benefits in addressing the plastic pollution are immense and outweigh the costs of inaction.

Developed countries also take advantage of lax environmental regulations to export plastic and other wastes to developing countries. The enactment of a legally binding global plastics treaty proposed for next year by the United Nations will help tackle the global plastic crisis and realise the goal of a zero-waste world. 

(The writer is Lead Author, Global Environment Outlook-7, UNEP, Nairobi, Kenya)