Where is the Value in the Chain? : Pathways out of Plastic Pollution

Plastics have been a development driver for decades but have turned into a development problem due to their omnipresence in the environment. Marine litter and plastic pollution have attracted much attention and commitments from governments and the private sector alike in the past few years. Policies to curb plastic pollution have had limited success in many developing countries because of various markets and policy failures. This report aims to support policymakers in their efforts to address plastic pollution. By examining the economic and financial implications of plastic management, the report provides key recommendations on how to create a comprehensive approach to addressing plastic pollution and to help policymakers make informed decisions for plastic pollution management. Overall, the report concludes that the effectiveness of policies to address plastics pollution can be substantially improved through careful design, implementation and evaluation. The report is structured in five chapters: Chapter 1 presents the drivers of plastic pollution and market failures that led to it; Chapter 2 presents the key building blocks of the policy process; Chapter 3 focuses on the process of setting targets and how the Estimator contributes to it; Chapter 4 deep dives on choosing policy instruments, and how the PPS can support policymakers in this choice; and Chapter 5 brings together results and lessons from this work