What is your vision for 2020?

According to data from the United Nationals Environment Programme¹, up to 5 billion plastic bags are used around the world annually.

Single-use plastic bags pose significant threat for our natural environment and wildlife. Increasing concern exists for marine life after the Ellen MacArthur Foundation² released a report stating that at current trajectory there would be more plastic in the ocean than fish by 2020.

A recent United Nations report³ found that around 127 countries have now adopted some form of regulation against plastic bags, with that number only expected to go up.

And yet – according to The World Resources Institute, these bans are having little impact on plastic pollution⁴.

The World Resources Institute points to a couple of key flaws in legislation that is resulting in these plastic bag bans having a lesser impact than expected, these include:

• Countries failing to regulate plastic through its lifecycle
• Countries favouring partial bands over full bans
• Countries not including bans/restrictions on plastic bag manufacturing/production
• Exemptions and exceptions in legislation
• Incentives not offered for alternatives to single-use plastic bags

And as the single-use plastics bans extend into other product categories, such as straws, food containers, plastic lined cups and bottles, concerns are that, as with the plastic bag ban, this legislation may not be comprehensive enough to have a real impact.

With plastic production still increasing, our vision for 2020 is that there will be more emphasis placed on dealing with plastics at the end of their life, such as actively encouraging recycling of plastics, as well as finding and promoting real alternatives.