Global Scans · Plastics · Weekly Summary

• [New] More than 90 countries that allied as the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution warn about the alarming acceleration of primary plastic production globally and raise scientific concerns about the adverse health impacts related to plastics to toxic chemicals. Fortune
• [New] Many environmental groups and countries are looking for an agreement that will include cutting the amount of plastic production, a goal that U.S. negotiators have resisted. The Washington Post
• [New] Iberostar hotels are making waves with plastic reduction, as their hotels are free of single-use plastics and they will be waste-free by 2025, avoiding the need to use 692 metric tons of plastic, and bringing them one step closer to carbon neutrality by 2030. FINN Partners
• [New] The UN is expected to agree a landmark treaty on plastics later in 2024 while more than 50 countries have called for an end to plastic pollution by 2040. Yahoo News
• [New] Some member states have included fossil fuel company lobbyists in their delegations at a time when UNEP is warning that producers' responsibilities schemes are expected to be established to tackle plastic pollution at its source. The Earth & I
• [New] In 2024, Earth Day's theme is Planet vs Plastic with a bold target to reduce global plastic production by 60% by 2040. Virgin Media O2
• [New] Building on the strong public support and given that wet wipes containing plastic are a source of plastic pollution and are often found in the environment, we will legislate to ban the supply and sale of wet wipes containing plastic across the UK. GOV.UK
• [New] Plastics that we rely on every day will deteriorate more rapidly because of rising global temperatures, and one effect will be a demand for more plastics. phys.org
• To mobilise support, the EU is actively involved in the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution, which includes 65 countries committed to aim high in the negotiations to end plastic pollution by 2040. Environment
• Scientific evidence of harm right along the plastic life cycle - from material extraction to disposal - has helped bring a once in a planet opportunity to address the issue of plastic pollution via a legally binding global treaty. phys.org
• In 2024, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to finally secure a global, legally binding target to radically reduce plastic production, but it will only deliver the kind of progressive action needed if countries like the UK push for plastic production to be reduced by at least 75% by 2040. Greenpeace UK
• Greenpeace and Everyday Plastic are calling on the UK government and supermarkets to advocate for a legally binding target in the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations, and reduce plastic production by at least 75% by 2040. Greenpeace UK
• Oman tops the list of countries in terms of mismanaged plastic waste, with a projected 111 kg of mismanaged plastic per person in 2024. The Indian Express
• The UNEP process is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to scale plastic recycling so recycled content becomes the default in plastic packaging and products, replacing virgin resin. The Association of Plastic Recyclers
• While much of the global conversation focuses on plastic packaging, there is tremendous need and opportunity to scale reuse, recycling and other solutions to address the 55% of all plastic used in non-packaging applications. The Association of Plastic Recyclers
• In a few short weeks, nearly 170 countries and thousands of stakeholders will gather in Ottawa, Canada for the fourth round of global negotiations, led by the United Nations, to craft a global agreement to end plastic pollution. The Association of Plastic Recyclers
• WWF will be advocating for a robust agreement at the next round of negotiations in Ottawa, Canada, in April to ensure that nations address the crisis of plastic waste before it's too late. World Wildlife Fund
• Mura Technology has signed a product offtake agreement with Neste, which will convert products from Mura's site in Teesside into feedstock for the production of new plastics. MRW
• Safer States, an alliance of environmental health organizations, anticipates a surge in state legislation across the US in 2024, with at least 35 states introducing about 450 bills aimed at addressing toxic chemicals and plastics. SGS EHS NAM
• Plastic waste often finds its way into water bodies, including the Red Sea, Nile River, and Mediterranean Sea, posing a severe threat to marine ecosystems. Carnegie Middle East Center
• Several states in the U.S. and countries around the world have banned the manufacture and sale of one-time use plastic products, which will reduce the number of plastic items in a landfill that will eventually become microplastic pieces. Southlantic Water Systems
• The recommendation set out in Veolia's Resource the Future report is to increase the Plastic Packaging Tax to 35% recycled content and £275 per tonne in 2024, escalating to 50% and £500 per tonne by 2030. Let's Recycle

Last updated: 29 April 2024