Global Scans · Plastics · Weekly Summary

• [New] Mura Technology has signed a product offtake agreement with Neste, which will convert products from Mura's site in Teesside into feedstock for the production of new plastics. MRW
• [New] Safer States, an alliance of environmental health organizations, anticipates a surge in state legislation across the US in 2024, with at least 35 states introducing about 450 bills aimed at addressing toxic chemicals and plastics. SGS EHS NAM
• [New] Plastic waste often finds its way into water bodies, including the Red Sea, Nile River, and Mediterranean Sea, posing a severe threat to marine ecosystems. Carnegie Middle East Center
• Several states in the U.S. and countries around the world have banned the manufacture and sale of one-time use plastic products, which will reduce the number of plastic items in a landfill that will eventually become microplastic pieces. Southlantic Water Systems
• The recommendation set out in Veolia's Resource the Future report is to increase the Plastic Packaging Tax to 35% recycled content and £275 per tonne in 2024, escalating to 50% and £500 per tonne by 2030. Let's Recycle
• The global plastics treaty is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a cleaner, safer planet. Common Dreams
• UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan has informed a UN environment meeting that it plans to establish zero plastic waste cities along the Indus River to combat the pervasive issue of plastic pollution. DAWN.COM
• The UK will need to invest £1.1 billion in building ten new plastic sorting and 30 new plastic reprocessing facilities, creating 2,500 new jobs and reducing annual carbon emissions by 1.8 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent. Let's Recycle
• Saudi Arabia will take part in the Plastic Pollution INC-4 conference in Canada next month to help drive global efforts to reduce the manufacture and use of non-essential plastic products and to develop robust regulations on plastic waste. ArabNews
• America's Plastic Makers have set an ambitious goal for 100% of U.S plastic packaging to be reused, recycled or recovered by 2040, and believe plastic waste in the environment is never acceptable. American Chemistry Council
• The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued an important Report into pro-oxidant masterbatches which in its own words could significantly reduce the persistence of plastic pollution without creating undesired by-products. Bioplastics News
• America's Plastic Makers has set a goal for all plastic packaging in the U.S. to be reused, recycled, recovered by 2040. NPR
• By 2040, Africa will mismanage 250 million tons of plastic waste if the current trend continues. The Star
• Governments globally must now act swiftly to ban harmful plastic products and unite behind a legally binding Global Plastics Treaty that recognises the threat plastic poses to human health. Sky News
• Aldi's sustainability pledges include reducing plastic packaging by 50% by 2025 (against a 2019 baseline); with an overarching goal of reducing all packaging by 50% by 2025, against a 2015 baseline. Printweek
• Penn State University will work to solve a major issue in plastic circularity: sorting and separating plastics for recycling. NIST
• One of the aims of the updated Environment Plan is to eliminate avoidable plastic waste by 2042, and avoidable waste as a whole by 2050. London Review of Books
• Governments across the world are negotiating a Global Plastics Treaty which could usher in the kinds of measures we need to end the age of plastic. Everyday Plastic
• In late March, the Arctic Sunrise will continue its journey to Colombia to promote the conservation of the Colombian tropical Pacific and protection against plastic pollution. Mirage News
• Global production of plastics and pesticides is increasing even as scientists warn that chemical and plastic pollution is an escalating crisis. ScienceDaily
• Due to economic growth, plastic use will triple between 2019 and 2060, going from 460 million tons to 1.3 billion tons per year. Schneider Electric Blog
• Scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have created an artificial worm gut that can break down plastics, providing hope for a solution to the world's plastic pollution issue that is inspired by nature. AZOM

Last updated: 15 April 2024