Why in the news?

  • OECD’s ‘Global Plastic Outlook’ reveals that global plastic consumption has increased significantly due to the growth of emerging economies and markets.

Global Plastic Pollution Crisis

  • Plastic Pollution: Plastic pollution refers to the accumulation of plastic objects and particles (like bottles, bags, microplastics, etc.) in the environment- land, waterways, oceans- to harmful levels.
  • Causes:
    • Rapid increase in production, especially single-use plastics.
    • Poor waste management infrastructure: many countries (especially low- and middle-income) do not have adequate systems for collection, segregation, recycling and safe disposal.
    • Low recycling rates: Only ~9-10% of plastic produced globally is recycled.
    • Design issues: Plastic products often are not designed for durability or recyclability. Multiple chemical additives complicate recycling.
    • Leakage pathways: plastic dumped openly, plastic waste entering waterways, littering, unchecked disposal, stormwater runoff.
  • Impacts:
    • Environmental Impacts:
      • Marine pollution: plastic debris floating in seas, forming patches (like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch), harming marine life through ingestion, entanglement.
      • Microplastics & nanoplastics: breakdown of larger plastics into tiny particles that spread widely (air, water, soil).
      • Ecosystem disruption: degrade habitats (corals, mangroves), affect species survival, alter food chains. Microplastics affect plankton, which has implications for carbon cycles, oxygen generation.
    • Human Health Impacts:
      • Microplastics: They have been detected in human tissues like blood, lungs, liver, placenta, etc.
      • Chemical additives in plastics (like BPA, phthalates, flame retardants) can leach out and cause endocrine disruption, reproductive issues, possibly cancers.
      • Exposure through inhalation (dust, air with microplastics), ingestion (contaminated food, water), dermal pathways. E.g.: PM2.5 emissions linked to plastic contribute to many health burdens.
    • Economic & Social Impacts:
      • Economic costs: clean-up efforts, damage to fisheries, tourism, marine industries, health costs, loss of ecosystem services.
      • Burden on vulnerable communities: informal waste pickers, coastal/island communities, poorer regions suffer more from exposure & loss.
      • Inequality: Wealthy nations and companies largely produce and consume plastics; disposal burdens often fall on less wealthy nations with weak infrastructure.
  • Challenges:
    • Resistance from industries (plastics, petrochemicals) to stricter regulations, especially on production limits and chemical management.
    • Technical issues: Recycling is complex; not all plastics are recyclable; mixed materials; contamination issues.
    • Lack of transparency about the composition of plastics (what additives, chemicals).
    • Weak policy enforcement in many countries; illegal dumping; transboundary pollution.
    • Global coordination is difficult. Negotiations for a legally binding treaty (on plastics) have been under way but face disagreements (e.g. on whether to limit production, regulate chemical additives, responsibilities).
  • Way Forward:
    • Circular economy approach: Reduce, reuse, recycle; design products for easier recycling; extended producer responsibility (EPR) norms.
    • Regulating production: Limiting single-use plastics, controlling chemical additives and shifting towards alternatives (biodegradables, compostables where suitable).
    • Improving waste management: Better collection, segregation, treatment; investment in infrastructure, especially in LMICs.
    • International treaty/agreement: Try to make a consensus as early as possible in the Global Plastics Treaty.
    • Public awareness & behavior change: Reducing plastic use, encouraging alternatives, preventing littering.
    • Innovations & technologies: New recycling methods, biodegradable plastics; sensors, monitoring waste flows.