SCP/RAC and UN Environment/MAP contribute to the “New Plastics Economy” report, led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation

On December 13th, the conference entitled "Towards a New Plastic Economy" took place at the "Ministère de l’Economie" in Paris. This conference highlights the latest report published by Ellen Mac Arthur Foundation, “The New Plastics Economy: Rethinking the future of plastic and catalyzing action”, with the support of UN ENvironment/MAP, SCP/RAC, the ARC and the EU-funded SwitchMed programme.

Plastic Marine Litter is today a global concern. It comprises up to 95% of the waste accumulated on shorelines, the ocean and sea surface and floors. Most marine litter originates from land-based sources and can have severe environmental, health and economic consequences.

SCP/RAC, hosted by the Catalan Waste Agency and UN Environment/ MAP, contributed to the latest report published by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation: “The New Plastics Economy: Rethinking the future of plastic and catalysing action”.

The report points out that while plastics and plastics packaging deliver many benefits, the current plastics system has significant economic, environmental and social drawbacks, such as marine pollution.

10 out of the top 12 identifiable items most commonly found stranded on the shores are plastic single-use items, mainly plastic packaging: this is a direct result of an unsustainable linear “take-make-dispose” value chain where plastic single use items are produced from virgin fossil feedstocks, used once and thrown away. A staggering 32% of the disposed plastic packaging is estimated to leak into the environment, ending up in our oceans and seas. This is particularly relevant for the Mediterranean Region, the first sea region to adopt a legally-binding Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter management in 2013.

The report provides a clear strategy for the global plastics industry to design better products, increase recycling rates, and introduce new use models, butalso insists on the fundamental role of both private and public sector to accelerate the transition to a circular economy for plastics.

The report was developed in the framework of the New Plastics Economy, athree-year initiative led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation aiming to rethink and redesign the future of plastics.

The publication in both English and French aims to reach a wide audience in the Mediterranean Region, engaging more stakeholders and ultimately preventing plastics to becomemarine litter. The publication was launched on the 13th of December, as part of the circular economy road map initiated by the French government, and is available in both languages at www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/publications.

Find here the conference agenda 

Please find here the press release.

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