The OECD offers recommendations to curtail plastic use and encourage the management of plastic at its end-of-life stage. This is in line with Carlsberg’s goal to get plastic out of the oceans for a more balanced world and ANP|WWF's mission is to create a future in which people and nature live in harmony.
Plastic use pervades daily life in takeaway containers or drink bottles and in innovative technologies in vehicles or construction. The pandemic caused the increased use of disposable, personal, protective equipment and takeaway containers. The OECD estimates that, without intervention, global plastic use will triple from its 2019 levels, increasing to 1231 Mt by 2060. Recommendations center around reducing demand, boosting recycling, and strengthening international efforts to create a circular value chain for plastic.
Reducing plastic demand is a first step in minimizing its presence in our environment. If the plastic is not produced or distributed in the first place, the challenges would be less pressing. Increasing the lifespan of products and minimizing unnecessary plastic use could help avoid the OECD projections. The OECD report recommends that policymakers consider levying taxes on packaging and creating incentives for the reuse and repair of products. Reducing consumption would help encourage the market to shift to more environmentally responsible products.
Improvements in recycling systems and cultural support for recycling will help prevent plastic leakage into nature. Currently, plastic end-of-life involves either landfills, incineration, or recycling. The OECD report estimates that, by 2060, only 1/5 of plastic waste will be recycled and half will end up in dumps and landfills. To improve recycling rates and close the value chain, the report recommends that governments create targets in new products for recycled materials.
Creating a circular lifecycle for plastics involves innovative recycling processes and improved waste management. Because the current lifecycle is open, it allows for waste in the production, consumption, and disposal processes. The OECD projects that the loss of plastics to nature will double, and the accumulation in lakes, rivers, and the ocean is expected to triple. To this end, the OECD recommends that policymakers: increase producer responsibility, improve waste management infrastructure, and increase the collection rate.
From their suggested interventions, the OECD report offers two different scenarios. First, the regional action scenario focuses on OECD nations taking on more ambitious targets than non-OECD countries. These fiscal and regulatory measures could reduce plastic disposal by 20% and the loss to the environment by half with only a -0.3% effect on the global GDP. Second, the global ambition scenario proposes more restrictive action to achieve near-zero plastic leakage by 2060 globally. This route could reduce plastic disposal by one-third and virtually cut plastic loss to the environment, with an impact on world GDP of -0.8%.
The recommendations from this report consider the multiple stages of plastic’s value chain and how they affect the environment. By considering how to make plastic production, consumption, and disposal more environmentally friendly, we can have a global approach to sustainable development. Stakeholders and policymakers alike can contribute to a future where humans and the environment live together in harmony.
Report OECD read here