Earth Action Highlights the Role of Corporate Recycling in Plastic Pollution

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The main conclusions of Earth Action's study on business recycling and its contribution to the reduction of plastic pollution were presented.

Martina Gallato, Earth Action's Technical Lead on Plastic Projects, claims that throughout the previous ten years, the manufacturing of plastics has increased 20 times faster than that of recycling. Large amounts of plastic have been left untreated as a result. Gallato noted that the recycling systems have not been sufficiently expanded to manage the enormous amounts of plastics produced.

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Earth Action cautioned that the issue of plastic waste could not be resolved by recycling alone. Furthermore, recycling may cause chemicals to combine and microplastics to be released.

Despite corporate attempts to promote circularity, the study projects a general increase in plastic waste across a number of industries by 2040. To address the growing volumes of plastic waste, circularity initiatives should be paired with worldwide plastic reduction goals and more funding for waste management systems. It stated that significant change in corporate plastic waste management may result from the planned UN Global Plastics Treaty.

By 2040, Gallato demanded that the manufacturing of plastic be reduced by at least 30%.