UNEP Outlines Urgent Global Response to Plastic Pollution Crisis

The world created about 400 million tonnes of plastic waste in one year alone, the combined weight of 40,000 Eiffel Towers. This plastic waste boom—in on daily items like water bottles and food packages, to industrial plastics like PVC pipe and polyester—is taking the world further into a culture of plastic pollution. As the ecosystems deteriorate, health risks increase, and climate is affected, the global attention has been drawn towards controlling this widespread phenomenon. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has focused on the magnitude of the issue and ongoing efforts to control it through policy and systemic measures.

Some 9.2 billion tonnes of plastic have been produced globally since the 1950s and over 7 billion tonnes are already present as waste. Part of the key reason for this is the proliferation of single-use plastic products. Bags, bottles, cutlery, and packaging are the most commonly used once and flippantly put into waste systems that are becoming full and flowing over into nature. They have been discovered from city streets and oceans to the remotest parts of the world like Mount Everest and the Mariana Trench.

Plastic pollution disrupts ecosystems by impacting species and processes important to biodiversity. Microplastic fragments can have the potential to affect plankton growth, which supports aquatic food webs. Plastics are ingested by fish and marine life, leading to malnutrition and death. Microplastics have also been discovered in human organs and body fluids, and long-term health effects remain unknown, though evidence is still being researched.

Besides damaging biodiversity and human health, plastics also emit greenhouse gases. Plastics production consumes enormous amounts of fossil fuel energy, and in 2020 alone emitted over 3 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Burning plastic waste also emits more emissions, causing air pollution.

Recycling itself has been unable to tackle the crisis. Currently, at best, 9 percent of all plastic waste is recycled. Poor product design, poor infrastructure, and growing growth in manufacturing reduce the effectiveness of recycling plants. The world doubled production of plastic from 2000 to 2019, even overtaking efforts to keep waste contained in a responsible way.

To address the issue as a whole, UNEP emphasizes the lifecycle strategy. It entails examining every phase in the life cycle of a product from design and manufacturing all the way to use and disposal. It seeks to free human beings from single-use plastics, create more durable and recyclable products, prevent the release of plastics into the environment. Alternatives such as biodegradable alternatives and closed-loop production methods are being studied by governments and businesses globally.

As much as concerns have been raised regarding cost and complexity, evidence exists that a transition to a circular plastic economy can be cost-saving. Estimates suggest that adopting a lifecycle approach could save up to US$4.5 trillion in social and environmental costs worldwide by 2040. Those are health care cost savings, reduced environmental degradation, and improved use of resources.

Certain nations have developed legislation that restricts single-use plastics and encourages extended producer responsibility. Nevertheless, since plastic pollution is of transboundary nature, it requires global action. Nations are currently in the process of negotiating a legally binding Global Plastics Treaty to mark the end of plastic pollution. The second half of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) will be held in Geneva from August 5–14, 2025. The treaty will establish a unified approach to production, use, and disposal norms between nations.

It is finally time to act. At today's pace, plastic litter will increase by three times to nearly a billion tonnes annually by the year 2060. Close to half of it will be incinerated, dumped on landfill or be lost to nature. UNEP maintains that urgent and intense action can prevent irreparable damage and leave everyone and the world a cleaner and healthier place.

World Environment Day, observed on June 5, will continue to be an international platform for raising awareness and inspiring action. The year's theme, beating plastic pollution, will highlight effective solutions and collective efforts at the global level to counteract the harmful effects of plastic. The #BeatPlasticPollution campaign started making its voice heard since 2018 for systemic change to avoid plastic waste and inspire sustainable alternatives.

Source/Credits:
Published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), May 5, 2025.