Global Scans · Plastics · Weekly Summary

• [New] Whatever the outcome, the direction of travel will have lasting implications for how plastic waste is regulated, financed and managed worldwide. Circular Online
• [New] Mondelez International partnered with Amcor and Licella to support the construction of one of Australia's first advanced recycling facilities, which will help reduce the need for virgin plastic in its soft plastic packaging. Yahoo Finance
• [New] By leveraging remote sensing technology initially used to detect plastic pollution on land, NASA hopes to enhance its capabilities in monitoring the movement of oceanic litter, a significant environmental challenge. KeepTrack
• [New] Mandatory recycled plastic targets will reach 15% in six years and 25% in ten years, with 20% from closed-loop recycling. Eversheds Sutherland
• [New] Plastic pollution is a growing global health crisis: 400 million tonnes of plastic waste are generated every year and seep into aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, posing a health risk. Notaspampeanas
• [New] Adverse health effects of the global plastic system will more than double by 2040 if current trends continue. Packaging News
• [New] Environmental costs from plastic waste are projected to exceed $5 billion by 2050. Cranbourne Star News
• [New] The dugong, already considered vulnerable to extinction, is critically endangered in many parts of the world, threatened by habitat loss, climate breakdown, noise, boat strikes, and water and plastic pollution. The Guardian
• [New] Global plastic consumption is projected to nearly triple between 2019 and 2060, soaring from 460 million tonnes to an astonishing 1.23 billion tonnes annually. Yahoo Finance
• [New] Global plastic consumption could nearly triple by 2060. Deutsche Welle
• [New] Plastic pollution could double its harm to human health in the coming decades if current production trends continue. Deutsche Welle
• [New] Under a business-as-usual scenario, the number of DALYs caused by plastic was projected to more than double from 2.1 million in 2016 to 4.5 million in 2040. The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
• [New] The EU now has a ban on exports to non-OECD countries, and the French government plans to introduce a system that will reward producers that use domestically recycled post-consumer plastic in their packaging. Chemistry World
• [New] Less than 9% of 9 billion MT ever produced are recycled, and if plastic consumption and waste management remain as it is currently, 12 billion MT of plastics will be released in the environment by the year 2050, most of which will come from plastic packaging. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Plastic production and waste could nearly triple by 2060, yet hopes are weak for a global plastics treaty after the last attempt flamed out in August. Trellis
• Without intervention, annual plastic production could triple by 2060. ScienceDaily
• Globally, negotiations toward a UN Global Plastics Treaty will continue in 2026, advancing efforts toward achieving a legally binding international agreement to address plastic pollution. Recycling Product News
• The 66m tonnes of pollution from plastic packaging that enters the global environment each year could be almost eliminated by 2040 primarily by reuse and return schemes, significant new research reveals. The Guardian

Last updated: 09 February 2026