Buying Green Report (Cont’d from Page 3)
metric tons of plastic currently entering the ocean annually will triple in the next twenty years. This would mean between 23 and 37 million metric tons of plastic flowing into the ocean every year by 2040. That is equivalent to 50 kilograms of plastics per meters of coastline worldwide. Other factors driving the effort to reduce the use of plastic until the material can support a circular economy include: More than five trillion pieces of plastic are in the world’s oceans, which can take years to break down. Forty percent of the 400 million tons of plastic produced is used once before being thrown away. More than eight million tons of plastic enter the world’s oceans each year, and most of that escapes from land. Not all plastic can be recycled, either because of the way it’s made or because it’s too expensive or difficult to do so. With consistent media coverage highlighting the impact of waste on the environment, consumers are paying attention. According to the survey results, consumer perception of plastic as an eco-friendly material continues to lag other materials.
44 percent said they “won’t buy” products in pack- aging that is harmful to the environment. More than two-thirds of consumers said they had made purchasing decisions in the last six months based on sustainability features. The sustainable packaging movement is being driven by much more than end consumer demand. Sustainability has become a major initiative for many organizations that have established goals for reducing emissions and waste. Driving Regulation The environmental impact of packaging is also driving increased regulation, which is primarily tar- geted to plastic packaging. One notable example is a resolution now being considered by the United Nations designed to reduce the impact of plastics on the environment by taking a circular economy approach to plastic design, manufacturing, use, and disposal, known as the global plastic treaty. This momentous step is being considered due to concerns over the growing impact of plastic pollu- tion. According to the UN Environmental Program: without urgent action, the estimated 11 million
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Flexo Market News May 23, 2022 7
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