Plastic Pollution
The Wilson Center recognizes that ocean plastics are a global issue. Eleven million tons of plastic waste entered the ocean in 2016 alone and without immediate action, this number will triple by 2040, and only 15 percent of plastic waste worldwide is recycled and much of the plastic life cycle occurs beyond their scope of control. Our research and dialogues focus not only on the policies that can reduce plastic pollution, but also on-the-ground action across the globe leading to address ocean plastics. We are further translating this research into compelling educational mediums, such as The Plastic Pipeline game.
Insights & Analysis
Learn More
Scaling up the Reuse Revolution in the Global South
The Plastic Pipeline Wins Big At Serious Game Festivals
Smart Take | Earth Day 2024 Calls for Planet Over Plastics!
This year’s Earth Day theme—“Planet vs. Plastic”—calls for a 60% reduction in plastic use by 2040. The billions of items of plastic waste that pollute oceans, lakes, and rivers, are also making their way into food systems, resulting in a direct threat to human health.
Learn moreBlogs and Publications
Read More
The Struggle Against Plastic Choking the Mekong
Scaling up the Reuse Revolution in the Global South
Reusable Food Packaging in US and China: Closing the Loop on Plastics in Closed Environments
The Power of Play with The Plastic Pipeline
With only 12 percent of single-use plastics being recycled, Indonesia is now second behind China as a source of ocean plastic -- responsible for 10 percent of global plastic leakage.
Read More
As the world’s largest consumers and producers of plastics, the United States and China are pivotal for helping to close the loop on global plastic waste.
Read More
Global Plastic Treaty Podcasts
