Forbes Innovation Sustainability Plastic Consumption Could Nearly Double By 2050, Study Warns Jamie Hailstone Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. I write about air quality and the environment. Following Feb 27, 2023, 03:44am EST | Press play to listen to this article! Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Workers select plastic bottles at La Sylvia recycling center in Barva, province of Heredia, Costa . . . [+] Rica on June 20, 2018. - Costa Rica discards 564 tons of plastic per day of which only 14 are recycled, according to the Ministry of Health's Office of Environmental Health in charge of waste management in the country. Since April 2018, a program seeks to stimulate recycling by giving value to waste through the exchange of it for a virtual currency that allows users to make purchases at stores linked with the initiative. (Photo by EZEQUIEL BECERRA / AFP) (Photo by EZEQUIEL BECERRA/AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty Images The amount of plastic being consumed around the world could almost double by 2050 unless urgent action is taken, according to a new study. The report by the Back to Blue group warns that without significant policy interventions, the amount of plastics consumed across the G20 nations will hit 451 million tonnes a year by that date, which is nearly twice the 2019 level of 261 million. It also warns that left unchecked, the same countries will not reach peak plastic consumption this century. In March 2022, 175 nations agreed to work together on a United Nations treaty to tackle plastic pollution, which is expected to be in place by the end of 2024. In order to bring about peak plastic consumption, the report argues policies agreed as part of the treaty will need to be “at the ambitious end of the spectrum”. According to the report, a global ban on unnecessary single-use plastic (SUP) items will be the most effective policy. However, even with a SUP ban in place, it predicts plastic consumption will still be 1. 48 times higher in 2050 compared with 2019. It also warns extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes will have a minimal effect on the consumption of single-use plastic products, but adds it is still a vital part of the solution. It concludes if EPR schemes become mandatory in the countries under focus, plastic consumption would be 1. 66 times higher in 2050 compared with 2019. The modelling also shows the impact of a tax on virgin plastic resin will be limited and will still see consumption rise by 1. 57 times by 2050. MORE FOR YOU The Inside Story Of Papa John's Toxic Culture From Zero To Hero: How To Win Back A Reputation And Client Base Ready To Wear: Jewellery Is The Future Of Investment Says 7879 Ultimately, it predicts that combination of all three scenarios will still leaves plastic consumption rising albeit at a slightly slower pace - 1. 25 times higher in 2050 compared with 2019. The report also highlights the ‘considerable’ possibility that the UN treaty will be too weak to bend the consumption curve downward. Report editor Gillian Parker said plastic consumption is likely over the next few decades by countries experiencing high economic and population growth. She added some countries have already decided to do away with some single-use plastics, but warned others will “really need to ask themselves” what plastics are necessary” and assess what regulations and levies will work best in their regions. In the meantime, Parker said the “pressure is on” for negotiators currently working on the United Nations treaty to end plastic waste, which is expected to be in place by 2024. “The treaty must go beyond the ambitions we've outlined in this report and address the life cycle of plastic,” she told Forbes. “There's a lot of momentum behind tackling plastic pollution, but this has to translate into political will at the negotiating table. ” The Back to Blue report follows a study published earlier this month by Australia’s Minderoo Foundation, which claimed more single-use plastic waste is being produced now than ever before . Raffi Schieir, director of Bantam Materials said in an email that not enough is being done to stem the tide of plastic pollution. Schieir said unless ambitious legislation is put in place, many businesses will “continue to do what’s best for their bottom line” and produce new plastic. “A complex problem needs complex solutions, so I hope to see deep and substantive discussions covering all aspects of this crisis,” he told Forbes. He said this should range rom limiting the production of virgin plastic and incentivising use of recycled plastic to encouraging extended producer responsibility and material innovation. Back to Blue was launched in 2021 by Economist Impact and the Nippon Foundation. “Plastic pollution extends beyond all borders, impacting the health of the ocean and natural environment,” said foundation chairman, Yohei Sasakawa in a statement. “It will take global co-ordination to address the scape and scale of this issue. ” Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn . Check out some of my other work here . Jamie Hailstone Editorial Standards Print Reprints & Permissions.