Introduction
It has been said that even if existing pledges and national
targets for reducing emissions are achieved, the reduction
won't be sufficient enough to limit the increase in temperature
to 1.5 degrees. Anything above this, scientists believe, will cause
irreversible devastation.
Contributing to these emissions are unsustainable waste
management policies across the globe. According to the OECD,
plastic production has doubled in the last 20 years, with a total
of 460 million tonnes produced in 2019 alone. Of this, less than
10% is recycled, and it is estimated that plastic production will
account for up to 20% of the global carbon budget by 2040.
So how can transitioning to a circular economy help tackle the
climate crisis?
