Deep Dive Series - Recycled Plastics

Recycled Plastics

Plastics have become one of the most ubiquitous materials in our everyday lives. Their remarkable properties have made them essential in a wide range of sectors, generating a number of benefits for society and for the environment.  Plastics recycling rates are still relatively low at between 9 to 30% globally (Improving Markets for Recycled Plastics-OECD, 2018). What are the obstacles to increased recycling? What new techniques and materials can either replace, reduce or irradicate the use of plastics for the good of the planet and all its inhabitants. Has the currency of recycled plastic hindered or helped in the clean-up of not only our oceans but also on the planet overall.  In short, how can we continue to profit from the user-friendliness of plastics without harming the environment and its inhabitants.

The financial sector is a key enabler of a circular economy for plastics: by making better design, reusing and recycling more financially competitive, virgin plastics production levels can be abated. On the other hand, under business-as-usual scenarios, expected increasing trends of plastic pollution and its consequent management will pose significant costs to businesses, communities, and ecosystems, with projections of plastic pollution to amount to well over 250 million metric tons annually by 2040. In spite of this, directing financial flows to activities that contribute to plastic pollution is currently often less risky than financing activities that contribute to a just and safe plastics circular economy (UNEP FI, 2023).

The Speakers

Data

Date:              Thursday, 05 June 2025

Time:              18.00 – 20.15 - Followed by a networking aperitif

Entry:             From 17.30

Location:       Auditorium VP Bank, Triesen

Language:   English