"Changes needed are major but also practical and affordable, report says, and would bring trillions of dollars in benefits".
"Global plastic pollution could be slashed by 80% by 2040, according to a report from the UN Environment Programme (Unep). The changes needed are major, but are also practical and affordable, the agency said.
The first step is to eliminate unnecessary plastics, such as excessive packaging, the report said. Then next steps are to increase the reuse of plastics, such as refillable bottles, boosting recycling and replace plastics with greener alternatives.
Such a shift, driven by government policies and changes in the plastic industry, would mean plastic pollution would drop to about 40m tons in 2040, rather than 227m tons if no action is taken.
The changes would bring benefits worth trillions of dollars between now and 2040, the report said, by reducing the damage caused by plastics to health, the climate and the environment."
Damian Carrington reports for the Guardian May 16, 2023.
SEE ALSO:
"Who Said Recycling Was Green? It Makes Microplastics By the Ton" (Inside Climate News)
