Plastics have become the ubiquitous workhorse material of the modern economy
��� combining unrivalled functional properties with low cost. Their use has increased
twenty-fold in the past half-century and is expected to double again in the next 20
years. Today nearly everyone, everywhere, every day comes into contact with plastics
��� especially plastic packaging, the focus of this report.
While delivering many benefits, the current plastics economy has drawbacks that
are becoming more apparent by the day. After a short first-use cycle, 95% of plastic
packaging material value, or USD 80���120 billion annually, is lost to the economy. A
staggering 32% of plastic packaging escapes collection systems, generating significant
economic costs by reducing the productivity of vital natural systems such as the ocean
and clogging urban infrastructure. The cost of such after-use externalities for plastic
packaging, plus the cost associated with greenhouse gas emissions from its production,
is conservatively estimated at USD 40 billion annually ��� exceeding the plastic
packaging industry���s profit pool. In future, these costs will have to be covered. In
overcoming these drawbacks, an opportunity beckons: enhancing system effectiveness
to achieve better economic and environmental outcomes while continuing to harness
the many benefits of plastic packaging. The ���New Plastics Economy��� offers a new vision,
aligned with the principles of the circular economy, to capture these opportunities.
Judul Informasi: The New Plastics Economy - Rethinking The Future of The Plastics