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Projections of plastic leakage to the environment to 2060
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This review examines projected trends for plastic leakage to terrestrial and aquatic environments through 2060, finding that without intervention, plastics use and waste generation are expected to triple, substantially increasing environmental contamination and associated impacts on ecosystems and human health.
Plastic leakage to the environment causes wide-ranging impacts on the environment and human health, and is a key concern for policy makers. With plastics use and waste projected to triple by 2060, this chapter explores the projected trends for leakage to the terrestrial and aquatic environments in the Baseline scenario, which assumes no new policy measures are taken. The chapter also quantifies projected trends in airborne microplastics pollution from tyre and brake wear.
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Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.