Plastic restriction refers to policy measures adopted at national and international levels to reduce the volume of plastic that accumulates in landfills and pollutes the oceans. Plastic pollution is currently one of the world’s biggest environmental challenges. Research estimates that as little as 9% of plastic generated globally between 2015-2017 was recycled, while the rest ended up being either incinerated (12%) or landfilled (79%).(2) Since the early 1990s nearly half of global plastic waste was exported to China. However, in response to the severe environmental and public health consequences of this practice, amplified by the growth of China’s own consumer culture, in January 2018 the country introduced a ban on import of several categories of waste, including some kinds of plastic.(1) China’s ban accelerated the need to address the worldwide issues of plastic waste, a large proportion of which comes from packaging, catering for the lifestyles of high-income countries such as the United States, Australia and the countries of the European Union. The United Nation’s review of 192 countries showed that as of July 2018, 127 countries introduced some kind of regulation of plastic bags (in some cases going back to the 2000s), 27 now regulate either selected single-use plastic products (e.g. plates, cups or straws) or have limits on their production levels, and 8 countries have laws that control the use and manufacture of plastic microbeads in personal care and detergents.(3) Yet, to truly address the alarming impacts of global plastic pollution, we need more systemic, long-term solutions that will corrode the throwaway mindset and the market logic that enables unlimited manufacture of materials and products that pose serious risks to human health and the environment.(1-7)
PLASTIC RESTRICTION
