Enhanced plastic economy: a perspective and a call for international action

Abstract

The worrying plastic pollution has led to global attention to control it and the emergence of a circular plastic economy. However, the current circular plastic economy seems to lean towards recycling of and energy recovery from plastics, and its implementation is widely varied. To ensure the effectiveness and uniformity of the plastic economy and learning from the successes and failures of the carbon economy, this article provides a perspective on an enhanced plastic economy to serve as or contribute to an international framework in mitigating plastic pollution. It deems that a separate international treaty or a treaty under the carbon economy to specifically address plastic pollution is beneficial as it promotes policy and legislative reforms in participating countries while providing more centralized policy support and instruments to operationalize regional plastic economy. More ambitious target-setting for the reduction of conventional plastic production and consumption, devoid of the excessive flexibility of the carbon economy encourages the development of a new market for green plastic substitutes and reduces carbon emissions from the lifecycle of conventional plastics. Economic instruments including taxes and incentivization of plastic substitutes, with or without plastic cap-and-trade are beneficial to the operationalization of an enhanced plastic economy, which could also contribute to reducing fossil fuel consumption and mitigating climate change. An international agreement to reduce mismanaged plastics through target-setting is another approach to control plastic pollution. The achievements of targets by participating countries can then be tracked through an established monitoring and reporting system, followed by adjustment of targets for improved effectiveness. The agreement could also address the transboundary movement of plastic waste to prohibit secretive diversion of the waste to developing countries.