Humanity produces more than 400 million tonnes of plastic each year, much of which ends up in the environment. Throughout 2024, UNEP led a global movement to end this plastic pollution, which is a mounting threat to human and planetary health. UNEP provided technical support to over 30 countries as they developed regulations to reduce plastic pollution at its source, improve the design of products, scale up reuse and refill systems, and bolster waste management practices. 

In the first programme of its kind, UNEP advised 12 countries in the early stages of developing extended producer responsibility (EPR) policies, which make producers responsible for plastic packaging throughout its life cycle. The effort is designed to raise recycling rates and improve product design, reducing plastic pollution. 

Some 40 countries now have EPR schemes up and running. In India, UNEP is supporting the rollout of bans on certain single-use plastics and assisting in the implementation of national EPR guidelines. More than 45,000 companies have joined the EPR initiative. 

The UNEP-hosted Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions provided technical assistance to 53 nations as they sought to better manage plastic waste. This led to the creation of waste management hubs in South Africa, the development of a regional policy on single-use plastic in Southeast Asia, and the launch of programmes to teach children in Sri Lanka about the dangers of plastic pollution. 

Finally, 180 investors, banks and insurers, representing US$17 trillion in assets, signed the UNEP FI-backed Finance Statement on Plastic Pollution, encouraging countries to agree a deal to end plastic pollution.