Global Scans · Plastics · Weekly Summary

• [New] Breaking the Plastic Wave 2025: An Assessment of the Global System and Strategies for Transformative Change projects that plastic pollution could jump from 130 million to 280 million metric tonnes by 2040, driven by production growth that far outstrips improvements in waste management. SYSTEMIQ
• [New] Under System Transformation, annual plastic system costs are US$ 2.3 trillion in 2040. The Pew Charitable Trusts
• [New] The global community can remake the plastic system and solve the plastic pollution problem in a generation, but decision-makers will need to prioritise people and the planet. The Guardian
• With global plastic production projected to triple by 2050, voluntary measures made by corporations will not be enough. The Courier Express
• The UK could end its reliance on plastic waste exports, and create 5,400 new jobs, if it invested in up to 15 new recycling facilities. The Guardian
• The global production of 460 million tonnes of plastic annually, with 20 million leaking into the environment, is expected to grow sharply by 2040, causing climate change and loss of biodiversity, and ecosystems. ET Edge Insights
• In the case of plastic, a global scheme could require producers to hold allowances for each unit of primary polymer they produce, with the number of available allowances falling over time, in line with the targeted limit on production. The Pew Charitable Trusts
• Over the 15-year time frame of System Transformation, capital expenditures for open-loop mechanical recycling and incineration will total US$ 430 billion - investments in technologies that risk becoming obsolete as the world transitions to a more streamlined circular plastic economy. The Pew Charitable Trusts
• The growth in use of recycled plastic in new products reflects a shift away from open-loop mechanical recycling and incineration, which both begin to decline around 2035 in System Transformation. The Pew Charitable Trusts
• Transforming the global plastic system is not only vital for the planet and human health, it's an extraordinary economic and social opportunity. SYSTEMIQ
• As global plastic bans tighten - from the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive to GCC 2026 compliance frameworks - the demand for biodegradable and compostable tableware is accelerating at unprecedented speed. TechBullion
• Reuse alone could account for two-thirds of a 97% reduction in plastic packaging pollution by 2040. Gizmodo
• Annual production of primary plastic-tiny pellets used to make larger plastic products - is on track to increase 52% by 2040, growing twice as fast as waste management. Gizmodo
• Plastic emissions in coastal habitats may increase by more than 50% by 2030 if present trends continue. / India India Water Portal
• Increasing the Plastic Packaging Tax in line with CPI inflation for 2026 to 2027 does not go far enough. WhatTheyThink
• Plastic pollution will double by 2040 at the current rate. Positive News
• A study from the World Economic Forum highlights that by 2025, advances in chemical recycling will make it possible to recycle up to 95% of plastic waste, recovering the majority of materials for reuse in new products. 2025 Top 5 Innovations Driving the Circular Economy Rev

Last updated: 22 December 2025