Pew Report Offers Road Map to Reduce Plastic Pollution by 80% by 2040
In July of 2020, The Pew Charitable Trusts and SYSTEMIQ released “Breaking the Plastic Wave: A Comprehensive Assessment of Pathways Towards Stopping Ocean Plastic Pollution” (the report), an evidence-based report that maps out real solutions to improving global plastic pollution. The report estimates that if we stay on the path that we are on now, we could be leaking 29 million metric tons of plastic waste into the ocean per year, or about three times the current rate, by 2040. The team of experts behind the report modeled six scenarios. One possible scenario was labeled “Business as Usual,” and demonstrates what plastic pollution would look like if we change nothing about our current system - an increase in plastic pollution by 30 percent by 2040. Another scenario labeled “Current Commitments,” demonstrates that if every government and industry commitment currently in place was implemented it would elicit only a 7 percent decrease in plastic waste by 2040.
Through evaluating these models, the team of experts behind the report found that not one solution to plastic pollution is enough and instead offer the “System Change Scenario.” The System Change Scenario includes eight system interventions, both upstream and downstream, that would reduce plastic pollution by an estimated 80 percent by 2040. The report further estimates that the eight integrated System Change Scenario interventions would reduce greenhouse gas emissions, relative to the Business as Usual model, by 14 percent between 2021 and 2040.
Below is a summary of the eight system interventions the report suggests, along with gaiactive recommendations on how you can do your part to support this hopeful plan:
1.Reduce growth in plastic production and consumption to avoid nearly one-third of projected plastic waste generation through elimination, reuse, and new delivery models. The report estimates that it is “socially, technically, and economically feasible to reduce plastic consumption by 30 per cent by 2040 compared to BAU [Business as Usual]—avoiding 125 million metric tons of macroplastic waste.” It notes that this solution would offer the biggest reduction in plastic pollution and instead of focusing on a reduction in overall consumption, the report suggests on a reduction of avoidable plastic production—through “elimination, the expansion of consumer reuse options, or new delivery models.”
What you can do to help: Avoid single use plastics and buy reusable solutions, such as reusable water bottles, reusable bags, etc.
2. Substitute plastic with paper and compostable materials, switching one-sixth of projected plastic waste generation.
The report estimates that 17% of the plastic waste in the Business as Usual model can be reduced by 2040 by substituting plastic in items such as carrier bags, trays and food service disposables with paper, coated paper and compostable materials.
What you can do to help: Choose products that are packaged in paper or compostable material instead of those packaged in plastic.
3. Design products and packaging for recycling to expand the share of economically recyclable plastic from an estimated 21 per cent to 54 per cent.
The report highlights that many plastic items are currently made in a way that makes them difficult to recycle. Only 15% of plastic is currently recycled (21% is considered economically recyclable), but designing plastic products and packaging that are inherently recyclable can increase the percentage of economically recyclable plastics to 54%.
What you can do to help: If you do choose plastic, choose recyclable plastic. Here is a handy guide to plastics recycling.
4. Expand waste collection rates in the middle-/low-income countries to 90 per cent in all urban areas and 50 per cent in rural areas, and support the informal collection sector.
Today an estimated 22% of annual plastic waste is left uncollected and this number could grow to 34% by 2040. The experts behind the report are hopeful that waste collection could be expanded to 90% in urban areas and 50% in rural areas, but it would “require tremendous resources from governments and industry across the world.”
What you can do to help: Learn more about the global waste problem in this World Bank report: What a Waste 2.0 : A Global Snapshot of Solid Waste Management to 2050. Make efforts to decrease your own waste.
5. Double mechanical recycling capacity globally to 86 million metric tons per year. Currently only 20% of plastic enters the recycling system and only 15% is actually recycled. They estimate that if mechanical recycling capacity was increased (requiring the opening of 107 recycling plants of 20,000 metric tons of capacity per year until 2040), that 33% of plastic waste that was not reduced or substituted could be recycled. This could account for an offset of virgin plastic production that would equal a reduction of 59 million tons of CO2 emission each year.
What you can do: Support local initiatives to increase mechanical recycling capacity.
6. Develop plastic-to-plastic conversion.
Though not a perfect process, chemical conversion can be used for plastics that cannot be handled by mechanical recycling, such as film, multimaterials and contaminated plastic. The report estimates that chemical conversion could reach a capacity of 26 million metric tons per year by 2040 if roughly 32 plastic-to-plastic plants (of 20,000 metric tons per year capacity each) are opened every year from 2021 until 2040.
What you can do: Support initiatives to create plastic-to-plastic plants.
7.Build facilities to dispose of the 23 per cent of plastic that cannot be recycled economically, as a transitional measure.
Recommended only as a last resort, once plastics have been reduced, substituted and recycled to their fullest potential, the report suggests building disposal plants that reduce leakage of plastics from landfill mismanagement (currently 39% of all land-based macroplastics in the ocean).
What you can do: Support initiatives to properly dispose of plastics that cannot be reduced, substituted or recycled.
8. Reduce plastic waste exports by 90 percent to countries with low collection and high leakage rates.
In 2016, 3.5 million tons of plastic waste was exported to middle-/low income communities that do not tend to track their leakage data. Instead the report suggests: “building a circular economy closer to the point of waste generation will help create a sustainable sink for material and free up infrastructure in countries that previously imported large amounts of plastic, enabling them to process their own waste.”
What you can do: Support initiatives to reduce plastic waste exports.
Additionally: The report offers a couple more plastic pollution reduction solutions outside of the System Change Scenario.
1.Reduce microplastic leakage.
The report estimates that 11% of plastic in the ocean in 2016 came from microplastics. They recommended reducing microplastics at their source by innovating tire and textile design, banning microplastics in personal care. and monitoring and regulating pellet loss across the supply chain.
What you can do: Avoid buying products that release microplastics into the environment. Support companies that are creating innovative designs without the use of plastics. Buy a Guppyfriend Washing Bag for your microplastic-containing activewear.
2. Reduce Maritime Leakage
The report estimates that between 10-30% of macroplastic leakage comes from maritime sources, such as discarded fishing gear and shipping litter. Increased regulation of the fishing and shipping industries are important for improving the impact of this leakage.
What you can do: Support initiatives that regulate fishing waste and equipment production. Buy local to reduce shipping litter.
Reports on pollution, waste and climate change can often feel overwhelming, but this report offers actionable steps that should create real impact. But, we must act now, they say, as “delaying the actions outlined in the report by five years would add 80 million metric tons of plastic waste to the 248 million metric tons projected to enter the ocean from 2016 to 2040.”
Download the full report “Breaking the Plastic Wave: A Comprehensive Assessment of Pathways Towards Stopping Ocean Plastic Pollution”
