The plastics reckoning: big subsidies, bigger health risks and the race for alternatives

Here are a few stories that caught our eye this week:

Plastics industry subsidies ‘set to swell to $150bn by 2050’

Article by Edie

Governments across the world last year provided $80bn of subsidies to producers and processors of primary plastic polymers, whose expansion plans mean they could cash in for $150bn by mid-century, it has been claimed.

New report explores the future of CPG packaging goals

Article by the Plastics Recycling Update

As brand owners face the realities of their 2025 voluntary sustainability targets, report author Jim Owen of RaboResearch predicts that recycled-content goals will become more pragmatic and lean more heavily on legislation.

How L’Occitane is Spotlighting Nature-First Sourcing Methods

Article by Sustainability Magazine

L’Occitane Group’s new campaign highlights how water, plants and packaging choices shape its commitment to biodiversity and responsible production.

World in $1.5tn ‘plastics crisis’ hitting health from infancy to old age, report warns

Article by the Guardian

Plastic production has increased more than 200 times since 1950 and hits health at every stage from extraction to disposal, says review in the Lancet.

Stora Enso and Novapor to launch pilot for cellulose foam packaging

Article by the Packaging Gateway

Stora Enso has teamed up with German company Novapor for a pilot project using Papira, a cellulose-based foam packaging material. The initiative seeks to replace traditional foams with a wood fibre-based alternative that maintains protective qualities while reducing carbon emissions.