[M-IS21] Understanding plastic pollution: The reality and countermeasures

[MIS21-08] Economic Measures to Tackle the Issue of Plastic Waste

*Toshiaki Sasao¹ (1.Ritsumeikan University)

Keywords:Economic measures, Upstream measures, Downstream measures, Plastic waste, Plastic tax

This study reviews economic measures to tackle the issue of plastic waste. Ishikawa (2019) suggests that it is important to distinguish between the flow and stock aspects of plastic issues and implement measures tailored to each aspect. Flow-related measures include upstream efforts at the manufacturing stage, such as designing plastic-free products and incorporating recycled plastics, as well as downstream measures such as recycling and waste management. Stock-related measures include cleaning up plastic waste in terrestrial environment and salvaging floating plastic debris in rivers, lakes and oceans. OECD (2024) shows that significant improvements in waste sorting and recycling in all countries and robust markets for scrap and secondary plastics are necessary to end plastic leakage by 2040. In addition, it suggests that internationally harmonized standards to establish eco-design criteria is also necessary to phase out problematic or unnecessary plastics. This study focuses on the upstream measures such as plastic taxes/levies implemented or planned to introduce in some European countries in near future. It examines the possibility of plastic taxes/levies on plastic production and consumption.