The ever-increasing amount of plastics in Europe, their impact on biodiversity and their contribution to climate change underline the need for a transition to a circular plastics economy, according to the European Environment Agency (EEA).
A report, which it published on Friday 29 January, examines the production, consumption and trade of plastics, the environmental and climate impact of plastics over their life cycle and explores ways in which this transition should be prioritised for action.
Smarter use of plastics, increased circularity and the use of renewable raw materials are the three paths that the EEA advocates, beyond the 2018 EU Plastics Strategy and the 2019 EU Directive limiting the use of single-use plastics.
The report stresses that the production and consumption of plastics contributes to climate change because it involves the use of large amounts of fossil fuels. If the production and use of plastics continues to grow as expected, the plastics industry will account for 20% of global oil use by 2050 (up from 7% currently).
According to the EEA inventory, annual emissions from plastics production in the EU amount to some 13.4 million tonnes of CO2, or about 20% of the EU chemical industry's emissions.
Protective masks and gloves against Covid-19 also aggravate the plastic waste crisis.
The report is accompanied by a briefing note on textiles made from synthetic fibres, such as polyester and nylon, which are part of the problem. Plastic-based textiles account for about 60% of clothing and 70% of household textiles.
Another briefing note identifies actions that can be taken to effectively implement circular business models and how they can be developed on a large scale to establish a framework for these new business models.
To view the report: http://bit.ly/3t5oxqf (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)