THE IMPACT OF PLASTICS ON HUMAN HEALTH
(synthèse
en anglais)
The harmful effects of plastic pollution on the environment have been scientifically demonstrated and are now well known to the general public. Less research has been carried out into the impact of plastics on human health, although in recent years a growing number of scientific studies have highlighted the health risks they pose to the general public.
From 25 November to 1 December 2024, the final round of negotiations on the future international treaty to eliminate plastic pollution will be held in South Korea. Measures to reduce the toxicity of plastics are one of the issues still under discussion.
To contribute to the current debates and future decisions, the Office, which has already invested a lot in the subject of plastics, organised a public hearing in the form of two round tables to take stock of scientific knowledge on the impact of plastics on human health and issue recommendations to the negotiators.
I. PLASTIC PRODUCTION HAS GROWN EXPONENTIALLY OVER THE LAST TWENTY YEARS, AND PLASTICS ARE NOW EVERYWHERE IN THE ENVIRONMENT
A. AS PLASTICS PRODUCTION HAS INCREASED EXPONENTIALLY, SO TOO HAS THE AMOUNT OF WASTE
· Sharp growth in plastics production
Plastics have only been on the market for a relatively short time, since the 1950s. Since then, production has accelerated constantly: it has doubled over the last 20 years and is set to exceed 500 million tonnes by 2024. If these 500 million tonnes were converted into plastic wrap, it would be enough to wrap the whole of France 50 times over!
According to OECD projections, plastics production is set to reach 750 million tonnes by 2040 and exceed one billion tonnes by 2050.
The packaging sector accounts for 32% of the plastics used (i.e. 139 million tonnes in 2020), making it the leading outlet for plastics production, and this share is set to remain stable over the next thirty years. Plastic production is still largely influenced by single-use plastics.
Textiles now account for 10% of plastic production (45.2 million tonnes in 2020), and their share is set to increase slightly by 2050 (11.2%).
· Waste production is following the plastics production curve
The output of plastic waste is expected to rise from 360 million tonnes in 2020 to 617 million tonnes in 2040.
Despite the rethoric about the circularity of the plastics life cycle, it remains linear, even in the most advanced countries in terms of waste collection, sorting and processing. In 2018, of the 3.6 million tonnes of plastic waste produced in France, only 0.6 million tonnes was actually recycled (i.e. 17%)!
Worldwide, less than 10% of plastic waste is recycled and, despite expected progress in waste collection, sorting and processing, on a business-as-usual basis, this rate is unlikely to exceed 14% in 2040, compared with 50% going into landfill and 17% for incineration.
In 2020, poorly managed plastic waste - i.e. waste that ends up in the environment - amounted to 81 million tonnes (22% of the total). By 2040, it is likely to account for 119 million tonnes (or 19%).