How advances in alternative plastics could help address the waste crisis

Plastics, much like the hydrocarbon cousins they’re derived from, are inherently useful. Cheap, abundant, and multifunctional, they touch virtually every aspect of daily life, from clothing, packaging and consumer goods to electronics, automotive components and medical devices. 

But this utility has fuelled ubiquity and, in the absence of adequate circular practices, plastic waste has become a major environmental hazard. Around 450 million tonnes of plastic waste is generated globally each year, with less than 10 per cent recycled. The remainder is incinerated, sent to landfill or littered, with an estimated 2 million tonnes washing into our oceans.

At this stage the problem is well known but, just as with fossil fuels, behaviour has been resistant to change. In December 2024, representatives from nearly 200 countries came together for the INC-5 talks with the aim of establishing a global plastics treaty. However, just as with the COP talks to tackle emissions, major oil-producing countries blocked meaningful progress.