PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoates)
Bacteria-made polyesters that biodegrade in soil, fresh water and seawater; the only mainstream bioplastic family that does not depend on industrial composting.
Manufacturers
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PLA (polylactic acid) and its limits
The most common compostable bioplastic, made from fermented corn or cane sugar; suits clear cups and clamshells but only breaks down in industrial composting.
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Without new policy, plastic waste will almost triple by 2060
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) projects plastic use rising to 1,231 million tonnes and waste to 1,014 million tonnes by 2060,…
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56 companies are responsible for more than half of branded plastic litter
Five years of brand audits across 84 countries show a few consumer-goods giants dominate plastic pollution, and pollution rises in step with production.
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Single-use plastic waste is still growing: 139 million tonnes in 2021
Minderoo’s Plastic Waste Makers Index names the polymer producers behind single-use plastic and shows it growing despite bans.
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UN Environment Programme (UNEP): plastic pollution could be cut 80% by 2040 with existing technology
The UN’s Turning off the Tap report shows reuse, recycling and material substitution could slash plastic pollution and save trillions.
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Breaking the Plastic Wave: ocean plastic inflow could nearly triple by 2040
Business as usual takes annual plastic flows into the ocean from 11 to 29 million tonnes by 2040, but existing solutions together could cut…
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Industry data: global plastic production reached 431 million tonnes in 2024
Plastics Europe’s annual count shows global output still rising, with Asia making well over half of the world’s plastic.
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Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD): full-lifecycle policies could cut plastic leakage 96% by 2040
Modelling shows that ambitious global policies across the whole plastics lifecycle could almost end plastic leakage by 2040; waste management alone cannot.