UN Report Calls for More Uniform Information on Plastic Packaging


Clearer communication of sustainability efforts with regards to plastic packaging are needed to help con­sumers make better decisions and lead the way to a more circular plastics economy. This is among the conclusions of a joint report from the United National Environment Programme (UNEP), Consumers International, and One Planet, titled “Can I Recycle This?” A Global Mapping and Assessment of Standards, Labels and Claims on Plastic Packaging.

Noting that globally, only about 9% of plastic waste is currently recycled and about 12% is incinerated, the report’s authors conducted a global mapping and assessment of information about materials, production, recyclability, and disposal that can be found on plastic packaging for consumer goods and food and beverage products. The report includes five recommendations (listed below) to create more effective on-package communications and, thereby, “empower consumers to be active partners in the transition to more sustainable consumption and production patterns and a circular economy.”


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National Law Review, Volume X, Number 150