Can a local business that does not generate waste survive the COVID-19 pandemic? Due to changing of consumer demands, the global plastic packaging market is estimated to grow from $ 909 billion in 2019 to $ 1.012 billion by 2021 – despite the fact that 86% of this packaging is not recycled. However, at higher levels of government, priorities have begun to change. The United Kingdom has agreed to a global treaty to reduce plastic pollution. EU countries such as Germany and Greece have pledged to phase out the use of disposable plastic packaging by the summer of 2021. In China, a ban on disposable plastic bags and straws is already in place.

At the global level, it is slowly being realized that recycling alone will not save us from plastic pollution. Governments are introducing new policies and regulations. Companies are redesigning their products to be sustainable. Innovative entrepreneurs around the world are committed to reducing waste from everyday products, and customers are also joining this trend.

Source: WEF, March 2021