Record High Single-Use Plastic Use Despite Increased Awareness: Report
Use of single-use plastic reached a record high in 2021, with an increase of one kilogram per person compared to the previous year
The main cause of this increase is the continued reliance on fossil fuel-based feedstocks in the production of single-use plastics
The top 20 petrochemical companies, led by ExxonMobil, are responsible for the largest plastic waste footprint, according to the Plastic Waste Makers Index 2023 report by Minderoo Foundation
The report calls for investors and financial institutions to pressure these companies to stop building new fossil fuel-based polymer production facilities and invest in recycled materials
Despite recycling efforts, it is not scaling fast enough to reduce reliance on fossil fuels
Single-use plastics from oil now emit as much greenhouse gases as the entire United Kingdom
The growth in single-use plastics produced from virgin feedstocks was 15 times greater than that produced from recycled materials
The report suggests reducing the production of single-use plastics by halting the construction of new facilities and imposing fees on production and consumption
The report's chairman, Andrew Forrest, criticized the fossil fuel industry for not doing enough to address the plastic pollution crisis
The report's author, Dominic Charles, emphasized the importance of banning unnecessary plastics and believes companies producing and distributing these products should be held accountable for their pollution.
The report highlights the need for a more concrete and effective approach to reducing the use of single-use plastics and addressing the plastic pollution crisis.
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