World Environment Day - How can businesses and industries help solve the plastic crisis?

Today, June 5th, marks the 50th anniversary of World Environment Day. This year’s goal is to unite global efforts by governments and businesses to #BeatPlasticPollution.

The UN Environment Programme has published “Beat Plastic Pollution Practical Guide”; tailored to different entities in our society, including individuals, governments, NGOs, and businesses & industries. I strongly recommend reading the entire report. I would like to highlight the key messages concerning the responsibilities of businesses and industries.

It is crucial to reiterate the UN's message that plastic pollution is preventable, and collective action across all sectors of society can effectively halt and reverse its impact.

Moreover, companies that genuinely and sustainably address environmental issues are more likely to attract and retain top talent. Research shows that over half of Gen Zs (55%) and millennials (54%) actively research a brand's environmental impact and policies before accepting a job. Additionally, it is worth noting that consumers prioritize sustainability and demonstrate their commitment through their purchasing decisions.

These factors may appear small, but they hold significant influence in motivating companies to contribute to saving our planet. Now, let's delve into the key messages shared in the "Beat Plastic Pollution Practical Guide."

What is the scale of the problem?

We produce around 430 million tonnes of plastic a year, two-thirds of which are short-lived products which soon become waste. Yet, current commitments made by governments and industry will only reduce the annual volume of plastic flowing into the ocean by 8 per cent by 2040. Plastic production has surged over the past 50 years and is expected to double over the next 20 years. If no action is taken plastic pollution is set to triple by 2060.

Much plastic pollution is not visible to the naked eye. Microplastics – tiny fragments of plastic less than 5mm in length – are polluting our soil, water supplies and our bodies.

The economic costs of plastic pollution are also astronomical. Widespread plastic waste results in damage to ecosystems and human health worth US$300 billion to US$600 billion a year.

How can businesses and industries help solve the plastic crisis?

Given that 20 companies produce more than half of all single- use plastic in the world, a vital shift is needed in how businesses and industries produce, consume and dispose of plastic.

There are several things businesses and industries can do to reduce plastic production and use.

• Design out waste by eliminating and substituting unnecessary and hazardous plastic production and packaging, especially single-use plastic.
• Reduce the amount of plastic waste produced throughout operations, particularly in manufacturing and packaging.
• Improve plastic design and production to ensure products are reusable, minimally resource-intensive and can be recycled effectively.
• Cut costs through more efficient use of plastic, develop new revenue streams through ‘closed-loop’ business models that recover plastic as a useful resource and win customers by demonstrating more sustainable products.
• Leverage emerging technologies to develop profitable solutions to plastic pollution that support environmental, social and governance goals.
• Disclose more information about how much plastic is used in products, including plastics produced annually, as well as the chemicals used in plastic.
• Ensure plastic-based textiles such as polyester used to make clothes are recycled and not thrown away.
• Switch from plastic to mulch films in farming and embrace nature-based solutions, such as cover crops, which protect soil from erosion, weeds and pests.
• Join hundreds of other businesses worldwide in committing to actions across the plastics life cycle through the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment to eliminate, innovate and circulate plastics.
• Join the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative, which aims to eliminate unnecessary single-use plastic and transition to reusable products.

What more needs to be done?

Much more progress is needed, including reducing plastic production and consumption; transforming the whole value chain; efficient, transparent, and agile legislation, and more effective monitoring systems to identify plastic sources, scale and fate while shifting to circular approaches. There is no one solution, but many that must happen simultaneously and immediately.

Consumer pressure is key, but real action needs to come from companies, investors, lawmakers and governments.

Transitioning to circular approaches and plastic alternatives is critical. This involves a life-cycle approach – one where the impact of all the activities and outcomes associated with the production and consumption of plastic is considered. This includes reassessing raw material extraction and processing, and innovating manufacturing processes, product design, packaging, distribution and end-of-life management, such as segregation, collection, sorting, recycling and disposal. Addressing plastic pollution requires a systemic change, with actions across the life cycle that address its root causes rather than its symptoms.

This is a big challenge, but one that we must take on.