Today’s children belong to Generation Plastic. Exposed to plastic before they are even born, they will face soaring production and plastic waste through their childhood years. Children have never been as surrounded by plastics as they are today, yet our understanding of the lifelong and intergenerational impacts of early exposure to plastics lags behind. Children are at the center of the plastic pollution crisis. Without stronger policies, plastics production and use are projected to rise 70 per cent from 2020 to 2040, while mismanaged plastic waste and leakage into the environment will increase by around 50 per cent.
For children, the tide of plastics is rising. Global production of plastic is far from circular, with only about 21 per cent designed to be recyclable. At a global scale, plastic used for convenience in one region feeds into toxic pollution for a child on the other side of the planet. Environmental justice for the children bearing the greatest burden of plastics must be respected and accelerated.
This report will provide an overview of plastic pollution's impact on children and recommended actions to better protect them from its harm. It will be released on 21 November 2024.
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