Plastic Consumption Across G20 Countries

Without new policies, plastic consumption across G20 countries to double by 2050: Report.

Plastic consumption across G20 countries is expected to double by 2050, according to a new report nearly.
According to the paper Peak Plastics: Bending the Consumption Curve, published on February 26, 2023, the volume of plastic consumed throughout the G20 countries.
It would increase to 451 million tonnes by 2050 from 261 million in 2019.

About
- The report is the first to forensically assess the possible impact of proposals under consideration by UN plastic treaty negotiators.
- If negotiations fail, yearly G20 plastic manufacturing might reach 451 million tonnes by 2050.
- It investigated the possible impact of three important policies that cover the whole plastic lifecycle, from production to disposal.
- The examination focuses on the G20’s 19 member countries.
Report Highlights
- All three policy levers fail to prevent an unstoppable increase in plastic usage.
- They include;
  - A prohibition on problematic single-use plastic.
  - A polluter-pays an extended producer responsibility plan for full end-of-life costs.
  - A tax on virgin plastic manufacture.
- Only bolder measures, such as prospective curbs on virgin plastic manufacture, will result in peak plastic and future usage slowing.
- Peak plastic consumption: The volume and point at which global plastic usage ceases to grow and begins to decline.

Overview
- According to a Back to Blue project assessment, plastic consumption in G20 countries might nearly double by 2050.
  - Unless new worldwide policies to minimise its use are implemented.
- Plastic usage is expected to rise the most in countries with the fastest economic and population growth in the coming decades.
- By 2050, plastic use is anticipated to nearly double to 451 million tonnes, up from 261 million tonnes in 2019.
- In addition, the most effective solution is a ban on single-use plastics.
- But even with the ban, plastic usage in G20 countries will be 1.48 times higher in 2050 than in 2019.
- Extended producer responsibility programmes will not affect single-use plastic product use.
- The Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 now prohibit manufacturing, importing, stocking, distributing, selling, and using carry bags and plastic sheets thinner than 50 microns nationwide.

Weak enforcement of regulations
- While India has passed legislation to combat plastic pollution, enforcement has been lax.
- It is due to limited resources and insufficient monitoring and reporting methods.
Lack of public awareness
- More widespread public education programmes are required to promote plastic alternatives and effective trash disposal techniques.
Limited infrastructure
- Many landfill sites are poorly managed and overflowing due to ineffective garbage collection and segregation mechanisms.
Recycling challenges
- While India has a thriving informal recycling business, there are issues with recycled plastic quality and safety.
- As well as a lack of standardised recycling techniques and technology.
Single-use plastic production
- India continues to manufacture many single-use plastic goods, such as straws, cutlery, and bags, which are difficult to recycle and frequently wind up in landfills or waterways.

Ban on single-use plastics
- Many states in India have outlawed the production, use, and sale of single-use plastics such as bags, cups, plates, cutlery, and straws.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
- The Indian government has enacted EPR, requiring plastic manufacturers to manage and dispose of trash their goods generate.
Plastic Waste Management Rules
- In 2016, India enacted the Plastic Waste Management Regulations.
- It establishes a framework for controlling plastic waste through various means, such as recycling and waste-to-energy projects.
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
- The Indian government began the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, a countrywide cleanliness initiative that involves plastic garbage collection and disposal.
Plastic Parks
- Plastic Parks, specialised industrial zones for recycling and processing plastic waste, have been established in India.

The G20 Plastic Pollution Report is a wake-up call to politicians, industries, and citizens to take meaningful steps to reduce plastic usage and pollution.
According to the study, if no significant policy changes are made, plastic consumption in G20 countries might quadruple by 2050.
It results in serious environmental and health implications.
It is heartening to see several G20 countries take initiatives to reduce single-use plastics.
But bolder and more ambitious policies are needed to achieve major reductions in plastic pollution.

Pic Courtesy: freepik

Content Source: Down to Earth