Plastic Overshoot Day arrives, amid estimate 220M tonnes of waste generated in 2024
Earth Action report to coincide with milestone also says that 69.5 million tonnes of plastic waste will be mismanaged this year.
Today (5 September) marks the annual global Plastic Overshoot Day, symbolising the point in the year when humanity’s plastic waste exceeds the capacity of its waste management systems.
A report from Earth Action estimates that 220 million tonnes of plastic waste will be generated in 2024, with an average of 28 kg per person globally. Since 2021, the total amount of plastic waste has risen by 7.11 per cent.
Nicolas Rochat, Founder at Mover Plastic Free Sportswear, said: “Today is a stark reminder that the time for change is now. The numbers are clear – three-quarters of the way through the year, we have already exhausted our ability to hold back the plastic tide. Continuing down this path of uninhibited plastic production is unconscionable and threatens the prosperity of both businesses and humankind.”
The report warns that one third of plastic waste will be mismanaged at the end of its lifecycle, leading to 69.5 million tonnes of plastic entering the environment. It also identifies 12 countries that are responsible for 60 per cent of the world’s mismanaged waste, with the top five being China, Russian Federation, India, Brazil, and Mexico.
Additionally, 66 per cent of the global population now live in areas where plastic waste already exceeded their waste management capabilities.
This year’s analysis includes plastic waste from the textile industry and household waste, which was not included in the 2023 report. If the revised scope had been used last year, Plastic Overshoot Day would have landed on 4 September, indicating that there is only a one day improvement.
Rochat added: "So-called solutions such as recycling plastics will only increase the physical and chemical plastic pollution. It’s time to move beyond temporary fixes and invest in innovative, non-polluting alternatives across supply chains that will futureproof us against impending catastrophe. Our planet can no longer afford the cost of inaction nor the cost of perpetuating the problem.”
The year’s Plastic Overshoot Day arrives ahead of UN negotiations in November, where global leaders will work towards an international legally binding treaty on plastic pollution. These talks, set to take place in Busan, South Korea, aim to create the first global plastic production and pollution regulations.
Goals of the treaty include reducing plastic production, banning specific chemicals, and establishing recycling targets.
Sarah Perreard, Co-CEO, at Earth Action & Plastic Footprint Network commented: “Plastic Overshoot Day should serve both as a testament to our current trajectory and as a blueprint for necessary action. The decisions made today will echo through ecosystems and economies for generations. A business-as-usual approach to solving the plastic crisis will only worsen its effects.
“The necessity for change is founded in the need to protect the environment and our health, but the risk of inaction to business is often overlooked - profit as well as the planet will be victim of this crisis. Many corporations and SMEs are taking steps to account for their plastic footprint and instil circularity through supply chains. It is this corporate action, collaboration and regulation through an effective UN Treaty that will deliver change. I hope 2024 is the year we see ambition turned to action.”
