The cost of preventing ocean plastic pollution
This paper provides estimates of the cost of preventing land-based plastic leakage
into the ocean, covering 38 OECD member countries and 10 selected major plastic waste
emitters in Asia and Africa. The study estimates capital costs at EUR 54 billion in
the Moderate Ambition scenario and EUR 74 billion in the High Ambition scenario. The
annualised per-capita costs range between EUR 0.2 to 6.5 in the Moderate Ambition
scenario and from EUR 0.8 to 6.5 in the High Ambition scenario. These cost estimates
are much lower than UNEP and ISWA estimates of the cost of inaction of inadequate
waste management, roughly USD 9 to 45 per capita. Differences in estimated costs are
found to depend on countries’ waste policy stringency and waste management infrastructure.
This paper contributes to OECD work in support of a sustainable ocean economy and
the Global Plastics Outlook report.
Published on March 04, 2022
In series:OECD Environment Working Papersview more titles