A new report, released ahead of a second round of negotiations in Paris on a global agreement to beat plastic pollution, suggests eliminating unnecessary plastics to reduce the size of the problem prior to significant market shifts based on products using reused and recycled materials.
Reuse options including refillable bottles, bulk dispensers, deposit-return-schemes and packaging take-back schemes that could cut up to 30 per cent of plastic pollution by 2040.
A further 20 per cent reduction in plastic pollution could be achieved if recycling becomes a more stable and profitable venture. To do this, the report recommends removing fossil fuels subsidies, enforcing design guidelines to enhance recyclability, and other measures to increase the share of economically recyclable plastics from 21 to 50 per cent.
It also suggests replacing products such as plastic wrappers, sachets and takeaway items with products made from alternative, compostable materials...