Circular economy practices must be scaled to answer our plastic pollution problem

Plastics have been a major driver of human progress over the last century. This diverse group of materials has evolved to underpin our modern world with numerous applications that make our daily lives more comfortable.

Our intensive reliance on plastic has created an Age of Disposables — turning this essential material into a scourge of modern society. Over 9 billion tons of plastic have been produced since 1950, with more than half ending up in landfills or polluting ecosystems around the world. Less than 7 percent of plastics produced over the last seven decades have been recycled. Of that number, more than two-thirds ultimately ends up incinerated or as waste.

The problem of plastic pollution is particularly acute in Southeast Asia, with our extensive coastlines and rich yet vulnerable biodiversity. Nations of Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia) account for five of the top 10 global producers of ocean plastic debris.