Plastic waste management strategies in various countries

1.

Plastic waste
management strategies
in various countries
Gavrilova
Polina, 141

2.

The first fully synthetic plastic was invented
in 1907. Since the 1950s, the use of plastic has
grown rapidly.

3.

97-99% of plastic is made from nonrenewable hydrocarbons, mostly crude oil
and natural gas

4.

Approximately 36% of all plastics produced are used in
packaging, including single-use plastic products for food
and beverage containers, approximately 85% of which ends
up in landfills or as unregulated waste.
Plastic polymers types, resin codes, and
product examples

5.

The estimated global polymer consumption
by type and sector

6.

Management of plastic waste by category
before recycling losses, 2019 (OECD,
2022a)

7.

Microplastics are extremely small pieces of plastic.
They are commonly considered to be micrometre-sized
particles less than 5 millimetres (mm) in length

8.

Microplastics are divided into
several types:
1. Primary microplastics
are intentionally
manufactured as
microscopic particles
that are used in certain
products and
applications.
2. Secondary
microplastics are
fragments of
macroscopic plastic
materials which arise,
for example, through
the fragmentation of
plastic bottles or the
disintegration of
tyres and textiles.
3. Microbeads are a
type of primary
microplastics that
are intentionally
manufactured and
added to cosmetics
and personal care
products (e.g. Scrubs
and toothpastes).

9.

Both marine and terrestrial animals
may be entangled in plastic waste or
ingest plastic waste.

10.

Micro and nano plastics have already
made their way through the food chain
and on to our plates.

11.

For example, while 98% of the US’ waste stream is
managed, only 12% is in India.
Plastic waste produced and
mismanaged

12.

Share of Total Plastic Leakage into the
Environment, 2019

13.

Plastic waste inputs from land into the
ocean. Mismanaged waste

14.

In 2019, Parties to the Convention agreed to add
plastic waste under the convention.
At the 16th Conference of the Parties held in May
2023, Parties to the Basel Convention adopted
technical guidelines on the environmentally sound
management of plastic waste.

15.

Guidance and guidelines under the
Basel Convention

16.

Factsheets on the projects
implemented under the SGP on
plastic waste

17.

Environmentally sound
management

18.

Policy approaches to reduce
plastic leakage

19.

A policy roadmap for more circular
use of plastics.
Global Plastics Outlook (OECD, 2022a)

20.

National example: Ghana’s
strategy
Inplastic
Ghana, over 76%
of plastic waste is mismanaged. Only
9.5% of plastic waste is recycled in Ghana.
Lately, rePATRN Limited partnered with informal sector
workers to address mismanaged plastic waste. From 2015 to
2020 rePATRN helped collect over 900 metric tons of PET
each month.

21.

Ghana sets its own plastic management
system policy.
The policy sets up a plastic management system,
with the following elements:
1. A waste management hierarchy;
2. Extended producer responsibility (EPR);
3. Segregation at source;
4. A certification scheme and database;
5. Recycling targets;
6. A plastics trading platform;
7. Government action plans;
8. Mandatory industry action plans;
9. A resource mobilization strategy.

22.

Ghana’s innovative approach to tackle marine plastic
pollution with citizen science

23.

Ban on types of
plastic in Russia
Up to five types of
plastic packaging,
including colored
plastic bottles, may
be banned in Russia
by 2024, and up to 20
by 2030. This will be
done within the
framework of the
federal project
“Circular Economy”.
The Russian
government also aims
to make 85% of all

24.

Plastic pollution in
Lake Baikal

25.

South Korea and Germany have the highest
recycling rates in the world.
Estimates show Germany (67.5%), and South Korea
(59%)

26.

China is the biggest producer of plastic,
with about 60 million tonnes of plastic
waste, yet only 16 million tonnes were
recycled.
A high share of the world’s marine
litter and plastic pollution has its
origin in Asia. Hotspots

27.

In 2008, Rwanda became the
world’s first ‘plastic-free’
nation.

28.

In Costa Rica, the import, marketing, and
distribution of polystyrene containers was
banned in 2019. The ban officially went into
effect starting in 2021.
Violations of the ban result in fines of $763 to
$7,629 (Global Citizen 2019).

29.

Similarly,
Chile
banned the
commercial
use of
plastic
bags in
2018.

30.

Plastic bag ban
(laws passed but not yet in effect are not shown
on map)

31.

Conclusi
on
Plastic is an important
part of our lives and
has many benefits, but
there is a problem of
mismanaged waste of
plastics, which leads
to the problem of
microplastics.
Environmentally sound
management, ban of
plastics, Basel
Convention guidelines,
countries strategies
and also various startups addressing the

32.

References
EPA – Best Practices for Solid Waste Management A Guide for
Decision-Makers in Developing Countries. Addressing Plastic Waste.
July 2023
OECD (2022), Global Plastics Outlook: Economic Drivers,
Environmental Impacts and Policy Options, OECD Publishing, Paris,
https://doi.org/10.1787/de747aef-en.
https://unccelearn.org/course/view.php?id=131&page=overview
https://www.unep.org/interactives/beat-plastic-pollution/
https://sozd.duma.gov.ru/bill/154856-8
https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/waste/global-plastic-profileshave-countries-found-common-ground-on-effective-waste-management95643

33.

Thank you for your
attention!