Signal Plastic flows into air, land and water projected to grow over 120% by 2040

Summary

Drawing on the Pew study Breaking the Plastic Wave, the Microplastics Watch Initiative projects a steep rise in plastic pollution. Without immediate and sustained new commitments along the whole plastics value chain, yearly plastic flows into air, land and water would grow by more than 120% by 2040. The same scenario would bring a 75% increase in impacts on human health. The Initiative adds that the crisis also poses a growing financial risk to companies. If governments made producers pay the waste management costs of their packaging, collective annual exposure could reach hundreds of billions of dollars. The projection frames the Initiative's call for wellness brands to lead on plastic reduction.