Primary plastic polymers: Urgently needed upstream reduction

• DOI: 10.1017/plc.2024.8
• Publication Date: 2024-04-22T12:05:48Z
• Authors: Juan Baztan; Bethany Jorgensen; Bethanie Carney A...; Melanie Bergmann; Trisia Farrelly; Jane Muncke; Kristian Syberg; Richard Thompson; Justin Boucher; Tara Olsen; Juan-José Álava; Tadele Assefa Aragaw; Denis Bailly; Aanchal Jain; Jill Bartolotta; Arturo Castillo; Terrence Collins; Mateo Cordier; Francesca De-Falco; Megan Deeney; Marina Fernandez; Sarah Gall; Tom Gammage; Jean-François Ghi...; Sedat Gündoğdu; Teis Hansen; Ibrahim Issifu; Doris Knoblauch; Melissa Wang; Karin Kvale; Baptiste Monsaingeon; Sangcheol Moon; Carmen Morales-Ca...; Stephanie Reynaud; Andrés Rodríguez-...; Peter Stoett; Rufino Varea; Costas Velis; Patricia Villarru...; Martin Wagner
• Keywords: [SDE] Environmental Sciences; Plastic production reduction; Environmental sciences; plastic pollution; [SDE]Environmental Sciences; primary plastic polymers; GE1-350; [SHS] Humanities and Social Sciences; Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering; TD1-1066; [SHS]Humanities and Social Sciences

The UN international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution (UNEA resolution 5/14) aims to reduce plastics pollution. However, midstream and downstream assessments show that optimizing waste management, removal technologies, and improved circularity is not sufficient to curb plastics pollution in the short-, mid- or long-term. Therefore, we have to look Upstream to the root of the problem and define binding national phase-down schedules and Global Aggregate Targets in order to reduce Primary Plastic Polymers production