The end of the explosion in plastic production could be in sight

By Kim Pratt, Circular Economy Campaigner

Plastics are everywhere: we wrap our food in it, our clothes are woven out of it and billions of products are made of it. These products are often designed to exploit plastic’s most well-known properties –it’s cheap and versatile.

Every year, 300 million tonnes of plastic is created but if you think there is a lot of plastic in your life right now, imagine what living in 2060 will be like, when plastic production is forecast to triple. But this doesn’t have to be the case, and we’re hopeful that a new international agreement could stem the tide.

The problem with plastic

Despite the fact that plastic can be found in every part of our lives, there is mounting evidence that it is extremely harmful. It’s now well known that plastic pollution is a problem for the environment.

Although many plastic products are thrown away after a single use, the material itself survives for hundreds of years Plastic litter covers our towns and countryside and clogs up our oceans Even when plastic breaks down, the resulting microplastics can go on polluting for years to come

There are also less visible ways in which plastic damages our lives Plastics are intertwined with the climate crisis because 99% of plastics are made from fossil fuels –this means that producing plastic is damaging the planet, not just throwing it away.

There’s also growing evidence about the impact of plastics on our health. 7,000 potentially harmful chemicals have been found in plastics in products such as packaging (including food contact materials), toys, textiles, furniture, building materials, medical devices, personal care and household cleaning products.

Exposure to these chemicals can cause neurological and hormonal conditions and cancers.

The global plastics production system deepens existing injustices that disproportionately harm Indigenous, black, brown and low-income communities Most plastics are used in rich countries but then the rubbish is sent to countries in the Global South to be dealt with by unofficial waste pickers who are vulnerable to exploitation. There is evidence of child labour, poisonous chemical exposure, and worker exploitation.