This paper analyses the role of the circular economy in solving the plastic challenge, highlighting some examples of successful circular solutions: it emphasizes that the circular economy alone will not solve the global plastic problem, and indicates that an all-encompassing solution needs to reduce demand and produce only essential plastic products. The paper concludes with advice to the GEF on its possible role in solving the global plastic pollution problem.
Plastics are one of the world’s greatest industrial innovations, but the sheer scale of their production and poor disposal practices are resulting in growing negative effects on human health and the environment, including on climate change, marine pollution, biodiversity, and chemical contamination, which require urgent action. The circular economy, an alternative to current linear, make, use, dispose, economy model, has been proposed as a solution to plastic pollution challenge. In this paper, the STAP analysed the role of the circular economy in solving the plastic challenge, highlighting some examples of successful circular solutions. The paper, however, emphasised that the circular economy alone will not solve the global plastic problem, and indicated that an all-encompassing solution must seek to reduce demand and produce only essential plastic products. The paper concludes with a set of advice to the Global Environment Facility on its possible role in solving the global plastic pollution problem.
