Global Scans · Plastics · Weekly Summary

• [New] Plastic production has increased more than 200-fold since 1950 and is expected to almost triple again to more than a billion tonnes a year by 2060, driven largely by single-use plastics used for packaging and drink and food containers. The Guardian
• [New] The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation introduced quotas for 2030 of recycled post-consumer plastic ranging from 10% to 35% for different packaging plastics which should be increased by 2040. TexData International - all significant news along the
• [New] By 2030, the annual global input of MPs and NPs into freshwater systems is expected to rise significantly, fueled by increasing plastic usage and insufficient waste management, potentially reaching over 8 million metric tons (Koelmans et al. 2019). SpringerLink
• [New] Producers must ensure their plastic packaging meets increasing recycling rates: 30% by 2028, 40% by 2030 and 65% by 2032. Proskauer Rose
• [New] Around 225 million tonnes of plastic waste will be produced in 2025. Edie
• [New] If authorised, the new soft plastics recycling scheme could revive soft plastic collection infrastructure in Australia and divert waste away from landfill - but success depends on broad participation, expanded processing capacity and strong demand for recycled materials. Packaging Gateway
• Pascual raised the cost of plastic pollution for society, namely that global management of plastic waste costs $32 billion each year, and that the societal lifetime cost of the plastic projected to be produced in 2040 could reach $7.1 billion. The National Academies Press
• CEO Ian Temperton is preparing to benefit from an anticipated under supply of recycled plastic as recycled content targets kick in across Europe: by 2040, plastic drinks bottles must contain at least 65% recycled content. BBC News
• OECD modeling warns that without intervention mismanaged plastic waste could rise from ~81 Mt/year (2020) to ~119 Mt/year by 2040. Polyestertime
• Estimates of plastic currently in oceans vary; some place the stock between ~75 and ~199 million tonnes as of the mid-2020s. Polyestertime
• Like falling dominoes, plastic recycling plant closures have been endemic across Europe too: another big name, Veolia, will close its two German operations in 2025, while seven plastic recyclers closed in the Netherlands last year. BBC News
• Environmental groups have welcomed the reduced use of plastic and paper, aligning with the UK's 2030 sustainability targets. Globe Charter School
• The phase-out of plastic barrier bags in Western Australia will bring noticeable changes to the way loose fruit and vegetables are handled in stores and by customers. Ward Packaging
• With millions of tons of PET produced every year, improving recycling efficiency could significantly reduce plastic pollution and help protect ecosystems worldwide. Futurity
• The Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) will launch a new digital platform to help brands and packaging suppliers evaluate the recyclability of entire plastic packages and prepare for policy requirements in the US and abroad. Resource Recycling News
• Plastic waste will triple to more than one billion tonnes annually by 2060. 3D Natives
• As the global plastics consumption is expected to double by 2060 according to the OECD, policy and industry actions are necessary to reduce the negative environmental impacts from plastics, notably from plastic waste. The Joint Research Centre: EU Science Hub
• California's Extended Producer Responsibility law requires a 25% reduction in single-use plastic packaging by 2032, accelerating the move toward paperization. ResourceWise
• Global rules and global coordination will mean all nations working on a level playing field, giving them the ability to rapidly accelerate solutions to the plastic pollution crisis. Packaging Europe

Last updated: 10 November 2025