A new report from EA Earth Action reveals that approximately 220 million tonnes of plastic waste will be generated in 2024, averaging around 28 kilograms per person globally.
The study highlights that one-third of this plastic will be mismanaged, leading to an estimated 68.6 million tonnes of plastic ending up in the environment.
EA Earth Action reports that despite advancements in waste management, the rapid increase in plastic production is outpacing these improvements. As a result, recycling efforts are proving insufficient in addressing the plastic crisis.
“The findings are unequivocal; improvements in waste management capacity are outpaced by rising plastic production, making progress almost invisible,” commented Sarah Perreard, Co-CEO, at EA Earth Action & Plastic Footprint Network.
“The assumption that recycling and waste management capacity will solve the plastics crisis is flawed.”
Plastic Overshoot Day
EA Earth Action made this assessment alongside the announcement of this year’s Plastic Overshoot Day, marking the point when the amount of plastic waste generated surpasses the world’s capacity to manage it. Plastic Overshoot Day for 2024 falls on September 5th.
The group’s findings were published ahead of the fourth round of negotiations for a UN Global Plastics Treaty in Ottawa, Canada.
“We have a narrow window of opportunity this year to create a global Plastics Treaty that will protect not only our ocean, our air, our soil but our own children,” commented Sian Sutherland, co-founder, A Plastic Planet & Plastic Health Council. “The question for every government now is this – will you negotiate a Treaty to protect the health of your people; or will you negotiate a Treaty to protect the profits of the fossil fuel industry?”
“Viable solutions are already available at scale, giving us materials and systems that work in harmony with nature, not against it.”
Managing Capacity
Nearly 50% of the global population resides in regions where the volume of plastic waste produced surpasses the capacity for effective management, a percentage projected to rise to 66% in the coming months, as Plastic Overshoot Day approaches.
Only 12 nations account for 60% of the world’s mismanaged plastic waste, with the top five contributors being China, the USA, India, Brazil, and Mexico.
“The 2024 Plastic Overshoot Day report can serve both as a testament to our current trajectory and as a blueprint for necessary action,” Perreard added. “The decisions made today will echo through ecosystems and economies for generations.”
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