Euroviews. It’s time to break the cycle of plastic overshoot

The simple idea of pinpointing an annual date when humans can no longer properly manage plastic waste was first marked in 2023. Plastic Overshoot Day provided a moment to reflect upon the challenge laid before us.

Since the launch of last year’s report and overshoot day, we have had INC2 negotiations in Paris; INC3 in Nairobi, and the published drafts of a Global Plastic Treaty that many hope can be the vehicle for change. 

But despite these steps forward, it often seems that we are stuck in a cycle of single-use plastic dependency. 

Whilst policy has been mooted, schemes devised and initiatives launched, plastic has continued to rise, and our planet and its people have sat under an ever-darkening cloud of pollution that showers its toxic consequences upon us.

The findings of this year’s Plastic Overshoot Day report are eerily similar to that of 2023. This year's global Overshoot Day falls on 5 September, one day later than 2023 when using our revised scope which includes textiles and household waste. But this isn’t cause for celebration. 

A staggering 220 million tonnes of plastic waste will still be generated in 2024, another milestone representing a 7.11% surge in plastic waste levels since 2021. On average, each person contributes a shocking 28kg globally.

In 2024, there are four whole months where the world is producing more plastic waste than we can cope with; plastic destined to pollute our environment and our bodies. 

In total, nearly 70 million tonnes of plastic are expected to be mismanaged globally. Close to 50% of the world’s population currently live in areas where waste generated has already exceeded the capacity to manage it, with the figure projected to rise to 66% by 5 September. 

Whilst this cycle of