Plastic Overshoot Day is projected to occur on 5 September as new EA Earth Action report finds 220 million tonnes of plastic waste will be generated in 2024.
This year’s Plastic Overshoot Day report was released on 11 April by EA Earth Action ahead of the fourth round of negotiations for a UN Global Plastics Treaty in Ottawa, Canada. Plastic Overshoot Day marks the point when the amount of plastic waste generated exceeds the world’s capacity to manage it.
The report found there has been a 7.11% rise in plastic waste since 2021. Over one third of plastic will be mismanaged at the end of its life, which amounts to 68.6 million tonnes with a global average of 28kg of plastic waste per person, according to the report.
While the inaugural report in 2023 analysed plastic packaging waste alone, this year EA Earth Action included plastic waste from the textile industry and household waste into its analysis. Using the revised scope, Plastic Overshoot Day would have landed on the 4 September in 2023.
The 2024 Plastic Overshoot Day report can serve both as a testament to our current trajectory and as a blueprint for necessary action.
Almost 50% of the world’s populations since April 2024 have been living in areas where plastic waste generated has already exceeded the capacity to manage it, the report found. The figure is projected to rise to 66% by 5 September 2024.
The report also found 12 countries are responsible for 60% of the world’s mismanaged plastic waste, the top five being China, USA, India, Brazil, and Mexico.
Sarah Perreard, Co-CEO, at EA Earth Action & Plastic Footprint Network, commented: “The findings are unequivocal; improvements in waste management capacity are outpaced by rising plastic production, making progress almost invisible. The assumption that recycling and waste management capacity will solve the plastics crisis is flawed.
“The 2024 Plastic Overshoot Day report can serve both as a testament to our current trajectory and as a blueprint for necessary action. The decisions made today will echo through ecosystems and economies for generations.
“Ahead of UN Plastic Treaty negotiations in Ottawa, we call for a steadfast pursuit of science-driven, robust global policy that matches the scale of the plastic pollution problem. Let 2024 be the year we pivot to a trajectory that embraces reduction, ensuring the legacy we leave is not one buried in plastic.”
