Less than 10% of the plastic produced in the world is recycled, the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) said on Tuesday (22), calling for a “global and coordinated” response. The statement comes a week before a UN conference that could open the door to an international treaty against this type of pollution.
Of the 460 million tons of plastic produced in 2019 in the world, 353 million ended up as waste, according to the report “World Plastics Perspectives”.
“Only 9% of plastic waste was recycled, while 19% was incinerated and about 50% ended up in controlled landfills. The remaining 22% were left in illegal landfills, burned, or abandoned in the middle of nature”, adds the text.
The Covid-19 pandemic caused a slight drop in plastic consumption (-2.2%) in 2020, but increased the use of single-use plastics. And this trend will only get worse with the economic recovery.
In addition, plastic production accounted for 3.4% of greenhouse gas emissions in 2019.
“It is essential that countries respond through global and coordinated solutions”, convened OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann, which includes developing the recycled plastic market, imposing minimum reuse quotas and improving technological innovation.
The minimum investment to create plastic management and recycling circuits in low- and middle-income countries is estimated at around US$ 28 billion per year, estimates the text.
Next week, the UN Environment Assembly begins in Nairobi. There, negotiations for a future international treaty on plastics should officially begin.
_110458_085134.jpg?fit=%2C&ssl=1)
