A new study says cutting plastic production may sound like an easy way to reduce pollution, but it could make plastic more expensive and raise costs for consumers. Instead, the study argues that governments should focus on better waste collection and recycling, especially in countries where large amounts of plastic currently leak into nature. Its conclusion is simple: better waste management could reduce pollution more cheaply than simply forcing companies to produce less plastic.
Personal remarks
Recycling has become the default answer to almost every plastic-waste problem, even though in practice it often delivers far less than promised. At some point, policymakers need to be more pragmatic. If certain plastic waste cannot realistically be recycled, then the debate should also include how to eliminate it safely and permanently. That means putting ideology aside and seriously discussing controlled disposal, including high-standard incineration with energy recovery, rather than pretending that everything can eventually be recycled.