How serious is plastic pollution?

15 SEPTEMBER 2025

Concerns:

Global consumption & waste: Plastics production doubled between 2000–2019, reaching 460 million tonnes, with waste at 353 million tonnes.
Short lifespan: ~65% of plastic waste has a lifespan of under 5 years.
- Packaging: 40%
- Consumer goods: 12%
- Clothing/textiles: 11%
Disposal: Only 9% recycled, 19% incinerated, 50% landfilled, and 22% unmanaged (dumped, burned, or leaked into environment).
Marine impact: ~11 million tonnes enter oceans annually; ~200 million tonnes already in circulation.
UNEP warning: By mid-century, oceans could have more plastic than fish.
Non-biodegradable: Plastics persist, fragmenting into micro- and nano-plastics that contaminate air, soil, and water.
Global spread: Found everywhere—from Mount Everest to the deep oceans.
Climate impact: Plastics account for 3.4% of global GHG emissions today.
By 2040, plastics could take up 19% of the global carbon budget.

Remedies & Global Action

UN Environment Assembly 2022: All 193 UN member states agreed to negotiate a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution.
UNEP’s target: Cut plastic waste by 80% within two decades.

Key measures proposed:

Reduce production
- Limit virgin plastic production (currently 94% of plastics).
- Eliminate unnecessary/single-use plastics.
- Permit production only within strict legal frameworks.
Boost recycling & alternatives
- Invest in recycling technologies.
- Develop markets for recycled plastics (currently only 6% of total).
- Promote eco-friendly substitutes.
Economic instruments
- Taxes on landfill/incineration to discourage wasteful disposal.
- Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes.
- Deposit-refund systems (DRS) and pay-as-you-throw models.
- Goa plans to become the first state in India to have DRS for non-biodegradable packaging materials.
Behavioural & awareness measures
- Public adoption of traditional greener alternatives.
- Media’s role in spreading awareness and shaping consumer behaviour.