Beyond the bottle: The plastic crisis and a call to action

This year’s World Environment Day is focused on ending plastic pollution, and is a timely reminder of the urgent action needed from governments, industries and society alike.

The plastic pollution crisis

Plastic pollution is destroying our natural environment and harming the poorest people on the planet. Since 1950, global plastic production has surged from 2.3 million tonnes to over 430 million tonnes annually,¹ with projections indicating this could double by 2050.² Two-thirds of this plastic is single-use, designed for convenience but destined for landfills, incinerators or ecosystems.¹ Alarmingly, a study published in 2022 found that less than 10% of single-use plastic is ever recycled, underscoring how poorly equipped current systems are to handle the scale of plastic waste.³

Plastic is now omnipresent – with increasing evidence and scientific studies highlighting its global distribution – from Arctic ice cores to human bloodstreams. Although national and voluntary efforts to tackle plastic pollution have increased by over 60% over the past five years, plastic pollution itself has still risen by 50% over the same period.⁴ This stark mismatch underscores the urgent need for systemic change through global cooperation, regulation and corporate responsibility.

The triple impact of plastic: Nature, climate and people

Plastic pollution is not just an environmental issue, its impacts are deeply interwoven with the health of our planet, our climate and our communities.

Nature – Plastic pollution is devastating biodiversity. Nearly 2100 species have been affected,² from marine animals ingesting microplastics to birds and fish becoming entangled in debris and land mammals suffering fatal consequences from consuming plastic waste. An estimated 8 million tonnes of plastic enters oceans annually – the equivalent of five bin bags of plastic on every foot of coastline worldwide.² Concerningly, some plastics can persist in nature for over 400 years, releasing toxic chemicals as they degrade and infiltrating ecosystems with microplastics.

Climate – Plastic is a fossil fuel product. In 2019, it contributed 1.8 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases – 3.4% of global emissions.¹ Its life cycle, from production to incineration, is carbon intensive. Plastic incineration also releases pollutants such as methane and dioxins, exacerbating climate change. A circular economy approach could cut ocean plastic by 80% and reduce emissions by 25%.⁵

People – Plastic pollution disproportionately harms vulnerable communities, posing a direct threat to fundamental human rights, including the rights to health, clean water and a safe environment. Workers in the petrochemical and plastics manufacturing industries face health and safety risks associated with hazardous and toxic chemicals. Microplastics, linked to health conditions such as cell damage and liver issues, are found in our food, water and air.⁶ In low-income areas, open burning of plastic waste releases toxic chemicals, while informal waste workers and coastal communities – often operating without legal protections – face serious health and safety risks with little support. These burdens are not shared equally: women, particularly in the Global South, are often exposed as both caregivers and informal workers, yet are rarely included in decisions that shape plastic policy.⁷ Addressing plastic pollution must be rooted in principles of environmental justice and gender equality.

The horizon: A global plastics treaty and the road ahead

In response to the global plastic crisis, 175 countries have agreed to develop a legally binding Global Plastics Treaty by the end of 2025. If successful, this treaty could reshape how the world produces, consumes and disposes of plastic.

The WWF has outlined four priority areas that guide the treaty: banning the most harmful plastics and chemicals, introducing mandatory product design standards, aligning financing with systemic change and building in mechanisms for regulatory strengthening over time.⁸

Negotiations are ongoing, with the final session (INC-5.2) due in August 2025. The process is complex, with pushback from some oil-producing nations, but it remains a strong opportunity to establish global plastic standards and accountability.

In parallel, businesses must prepare for an evolving landscape. Alongside the treaty, a growing array of international and regional regulations are emerging. In the UK and the EU, these include the following.

• Extended producer responsibility (EPR): The UK will fully roll out EPR by 2027, making producers financially responsible for packaging waste. The EU is also introducing EPR via the European Strategy for Plastics.
• Packaging regulations: The UK’s Plastic Packaging Tax charges £210.82/tonne on packaging with less than 30% recycled content, while the EU is introducing mandatory recycled content (e.g., 30% in bottles by 2030).
• Microplastics restrictions: The EU has begun restricting intentionally added microplastics, targeting products such as cosmetics, paints and detergents.
• Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD): This requires large companies to report on environmental impacts where they are material from a financial or impact perspective, including detailed plastic use, microplastics disclosure and circularity metrics.
• Basel Convention and MARPOL: Global frameworks, which are already enforceable, restricting international plastic waste movement and banning plastic dumping at sea.

Together, these regulations and frameworks demonstrate a shift from voluntary targets to enforceable obligations. Businesses that act early – improving plastic traceability, designing for reuse and recyclability and embedding circular economy principles – will be best positioned to lead and comply in a plastic-constrained future.

Business: Action, inaction and the gap

Businesses both drive plastic pollution and have an important role in delivering the solutions. Encouragingly, many major corporations have made commitments to reduce their plastic footprint, invest in innovation and support circular economy models. However, progress is uneven, and ambition often outpaces implementation.

Some of the most visible corporate actions are tied to international initiatives. Over 500 companies, including Coca-Cola, Nestlé and Unilever, have signed the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). These businesses have pledged to eliminate unnecessary plastic packaging and ensure all plastic packaging is reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. Similarly, the Alliance to End Plastic Waste – a collation of multinational firms – has committed to over $1.5 billion towards improving waste management infrastructure and advancing plastic recycling technologies globally.

Despite this momentum, many companies are likely to miss their 2025 targets.⁹A new assessment of the first five years of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Global Commitment revealed that while signatories have outperformed industry peers in addressing plastic waste, most are still falling short of their agreed goals. Progress has been made, but not at the pace or scale required, with persistent barriers – including technological limitations, inconsistent standards and underdeveloped infrastructure – continuing to stall change. The report also highlights that without more ambitious business action, plastic pollution will persist at alarming levels – with an estimated 20 trillion flexible packaging items (e.g., sachets and wrappers) potentially entering the ocean by 2040. Voluntary action alone is not enough; binding policies must work hand in hand with bold corporate leadership to drive systemic change.