By now, we all know the scale of the problem: Up to 13 million tons of plastic leaks into the ocean every year; this is equivalent to dumping one garbage truck full of plastic waste into the ocean every minute; without intervention, we’ll have more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050. These facts and figures frame reports, press releases and microsites, and stakeholders along the plastics value chain have made ambitious commitments to tackle this global crisis.
What will it take to address the plastic waste crisis? The solution set is relatively clear: Target the production, design and disposal of plastics and packaging; invest in infrastructure and recycling technologies; establish and harmonize policy; center communities and climate. It will take a portfolio approach and an all-of-the-above solution set.
But if you ask most practitioners outside of the corporate sector — scientists, NGOs, startups — the threat of this crisis is only increasing. Even with a widespread consensus around the facts, figures and necessary interventions, we aren’t doing enough and we aren’t moving fast enough.
Join this keynote for a candid conversation about what it will actually take to solve the plastics waste crisis at scale and move from good intentions to meaningful impact.
