As the first quarter of the 21st century comes to an end, humanity is in the midst of a great reckoning. This is precisely why the current era is referred to as the 'Anthropocene'—the 'age of humans.' The planet, billions of years old, has suffered deep wounds during approximately 250 years of industrialization. Resources were plundered irresponsibly, and the atmosphere became saturated with carbon dioxide. The greenhouse gas effect brought about the climate crisis. First, definitions were made, and the damage was assessed. The world, which can never give up on competition, met in common action. Both the fight against the climate crisis and the goal of leaving a world for tomorrow have made the concept of "sustainability" the world's priority.
The term Anthropocene is explained by the phrase, "humans broke it, humans will fix it; that is why it is the age of humans." This explanation is supported by decisions taken, actions, and sanctions. The United Nations (UN) holds Conferences of the Parties (COP). The process and the struggle are shaped by these meetings. COP has gathered 29 times for climate, 16 times for biodiversity, and 16 times for desertification. At both global and national levels, strategies and action plans are being announced, implemented, and questioned. Public will is demonstrating its determination. While evaluating this process sectorally, a broad perspective must not be lost. The era of Re-Globalization is emphasized with bold lines. This illustrates the necessity of first understanding the big picture so that every sector and every local concern can be addressed.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), led by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), are listed under 17 separate items, yet they meet and support each other at almost every step. Because we are in a process where individual effort will remain insufficient for a sustainable future. Think of a series of levers; effective governance, fair financing, inclusive leadership, data-driven policy, capacity building, and innovative technologies. When we pull these levers together, we create important "entry points" to achieve multiple goals. These are: increasing human well-being, promoting fair and sustainable economies, securing resilient food systems, providing clean energy, and developing green infrastructure. The fundamental goal is to serve both economic prosperity and environmental protection. Achieving this will also help us keep global warming as close as possible to the 1.5°C level. The problems are massive, and none of them are local. For instance, if you ask why the title of COP16 in Riyadh was "desertification," the heartbreaking data will show how much we are already inside a problem that seems 'distant.' According to the Global Land Outlook report, approximately 40 percent of the Earth's surface is degraded, and this situation directly affects the well-being of about 3 billion people. When fertile lands become barren, local food sources diminish, clean water resources shrink, and employment opportunities disappear. This problem does not exist in isolation. It intersects with climate change, poverty, hunger, water scarcity, social inequality, and many more issues. Decreasing land fertility can accelerate waves of migration, increase tension over resources, and even lead to conflicts. The danger is extremely high. We need holistic solutions.
This is where synergy comes into play. The UN Climate-SDG Synergy Report also supports this perspective. A "virtuous cycle" emerges. Synergy is essentially about resilience. Resilience is our capacity to withstand shocks, adapt to change, and emerge stronger from challenges. When we carry out various efforts together, we do not just solve a single problem.
The 2024 Sustainable Development Report highlights that progress on many SDGs has stalled or reversed due to environmental pressures and inequalities.
COP29 held its latest climate meeting in Baku
Climate finance and the regulation of international carbon markets were the main topics. Global emission reductions and the acceleration of transition processes from fossil fuels to clean energy were discussed, and decisions were made. A consensus was reached on standards to facilitate international carbon trading. However, there were disagreements regarding the increase of climate finance commitments by developed countries. Developing countries stated that the current annual $100 billion commitment is insufficient, demanding that this figure be raised to $1.3 trillion. As a result, an agreement was reached to provide $300 billion annually by 2035, but this amount was found insufficient by many countries. At the same time, at the G20 Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, leaders issued a joint declaration on fighting climate change and battling hunger. The goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C was emphasized. The "Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty" was established. However, no binding decision was made at the G20 Summit on completely ending the use of fossil fuels. As can be seen, wealthy countries are the main cause of the world's common problem. They are asked to support developing countries. Because we have only one world, and its tomorrow is under threat. Within this complex structure, while every sector takes its share of the necessary transformation, evaluating the plastics sector independently from other areas would mean interpreting the situation without understanding the general context.
Plastics sector
Following World War II, the rapid proliferation of plastics transformed many aspects of modern life; it created a wide-ranging impact from consumer packaged goods (CPG) to automotive, clothing to construction, providing a remarkable increase in quality of life. However, over time, problems such as increasing environmental pollution, the use of fossil-based raw materials, and inadequate waste management have placed the concept of sustainability at the center of the global agenda. One of the areas most affected by this transformation is the plastics sector. Plastic, which pioneered innovations in many sectors with its advantages such as lightness, durability, and low cost, is also involved in serious environmental and social issues due to improper waste management and excessive consumption. The main reasons for the widespread use of plastic are its durability, lightness, flexibility, and relatively low cost. Becoming a critical material in almost every field such as food packaging, construction, automotive, agriculture, electronics, and medicine has brought about high production figures on a global scale. Global plastic production reached approximately 390.7 million tons in 2021, and the majority of this production (approximately 32 percent) took place in China. Production was 17 percent in North America, 17 percent in the rest of Asia, and 15 percent in the EU. In Europe specifically, the plastics industry generates a turnover of approximately 400 billion euros, covering more than 52 thousand SME-level enterprises and over 1.5 million direct jobs. Similarly, the 57.2 million tons of plastic production announced across the European Union in 2021 also proves the scale of the sector.
Sustainable development goals and the plastics sector
The Sustainable Development Goals, adopted by the UN in 2015 and envisioned to be implemented by 2030, offer holistic solutions to global problems. It consists of 17 goals and 169 sub-targets in total. Let's examine which dimension of the plastics sector meets with which SDG item:
SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure): Directly related to strengthening recycling infrastructure with new technologies and supporting innovation.
SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production): The main principles are reducing single-use products, preferring recyclable materials, and making waste management effective. It has an important role in the transition to responsible production-consumption models.
SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and SDG 15 (Life on Land): Aims to prevent pollution in oceans and terrestrial ecosystems.
SDG 13 (Climate Action): Emissions related to fossil fuel use stand out as one of the critical causes of climate change in this context.
This interactive structure makes the sector a key factor in sustainable development.
The need for sustainable plastic
Plastic, an indispensable part of modern life, creates ecological imbalances and social problems when not produced and consumed responsibly. The sustainable plastic approach covers all stages of the life cycle—raw material procurement, production, consumption, recycling, and disposal. The first step is to turn towards renewable and low-carbon sources instead of fossil-based raw materials. Innovative solutions such as the development of bioplastics and carbon capture and utilization (CCU) technologies can play a role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The second step is to align product designs with circular economy principles. Ensuring products are durable, repairable, and reusable reduces the amount of waste by moving away from the single-use consumption model. The sustainable plastic concept also includes the social dimension. Therefore, providing common standards, capacity building, and investment support on a global scale is important. Furthermore, increasing consumer awareness and making the right choices can cause market dynamics to change rapidly.
Circular economy and green transformation
Circular economy is an approach developed as an alternative to the linear production-consumption model, aiming to make resource use as efficient as possible. This model aims to prevent waste and pollution starting from the product design stage, extend product lifespans, and create new values from a product even when its life cycle ends. Thus, instead of the traditional "take-make-dispose" cycle, the "reuse, repair, recycle" cycle is used to ensure the protection of natural resources and the development of the economy in a way that does not harm the ecological balance. The circular economy approach, which is becoming increasingly popular on a global scale, encourages cooperation between different sectors (industrial symbiosis) and multi-stakeholder solutions. For example, waste from one sector can become a raw material source for another. This not only reduces waste amount and raw material costs but also paves the way for innovation. Economic instruments used within the scope of the circular economy include extended producer responsibility (EPR), deposit systems, tax incentives, and regulations rewarding recycling. Thus, companies aim for long-term value creation and sustainable growth instead of short-term profit. The plastics sector is one of the primary areas that can bring concrete examples of this model to life. Because the recycling potential of plastic is high and with the right design approaches, the same raw material can be used many times. While mechanical recycling is the most common method in the sector, chemical recycling (e.g., pyrolysis, gasification, or chemical dissolution) makes it possible to convert the material back into raw materials even in difficult-to-separate plastic types. On the other hand, bioplastic technologies support the acceleration of green transformation by lowering the carbon footprint of production based on fossil fuels. Increasing R&D activities and infrastructure investments in this field will also increase energy efficiency in plastic production, reducing dependence on fossil resources.
Despite the strong growth expected in circular plastics, constraints in the availability of sustainably sourced biomass, captured carbon, and low-carbon hydrogen make it difficult to completely replace fossil-based plastics by 2050. Achieving true circularity in the plastic system requires the cooperation of a broad stakeholder ecosystem, including raw material producers, converters, plastic product manufacturers, end-users, waste management companies, and regulators. In this way, it may be possible to improve material usage, reduce demand for new plastic products in single-use applications, and reduce carbon emissions associated with production. Moving towards reuse, repair, and circular business models will significantly alleviate CO2 emissions and waste amounts in the plastics industry. Specifically, applications like extended producer responsibility and deposit schemes can offer double advantages by reducing the need for plastic waste incineration or landfilling. These strategies, which increase recycling, reuse, and resource efficiency, also lower Scope 3 emissions by partially replacing fossil raw materials used in the production phase with renewable options. On the other hand, electrifying production processes and scaling carbon capture & storage (CCS) technologies will provide the sector with additional emission reduction potential in the coming decades.
Technological innovations and future projections in the plastics sector
R&D activities in the plastics sector bring to the agenda many technological innovations that will increase efficiency in waste management and recycling processes. Smart sorting with sensor and robotic systems, the ability to reuse different polymer types with chemical recycling techniques, the development of biodegradable materials, and lighter, flexible product designs are among the highlights of these innovations. According to forecasts, it is stated that 15 percent of 1 to 6 numbered plastics will consist of sustainable options by 2030. Nevertheless, uncertainties such as regulatory frameworks, consumer habits, and technology improvements may cause fluctuations in the future growth curve.
Recommendations for the green transformation of the plastics sector
Circular Design: Easily detachable, single-polymer, and highly recyclable products should be prioritized at the initial design stage.
Extended Producer Responsibility: Producers should develop models that contribute to waste management throughout their products' life cycles and assume financial responsibility.
Consumer Awareness: Awareness levels of consumers regarding waste sorting and sustainable product selection should be increased through educational campaigns, media, and civil society collaborations.
R&D Incentives: Research and development should be supported in areas such as chemical recycling, bioplastics, and carbon capture and utilization technologies.
Infrastructure and Logistics Investments: Regional recycling facilities, smart sorting systems, and storage capacities should be created.
International Standards and Certification: Issues such as plastic quality, recyclability, product safety, and the use of harmful chemicals should be audited through common certification standards.
The figures reveal how dependent the most important area in climate action, energy, is on the financing of transformation.
7 trillion dollars: Annual investment needed to reach net-zero emissions worldwide
500 million dollars: Budget required for Turkey's green transformation (by 2053)
733 million: Number of people on Earth without access to electricity
2.4 billion: Number of people without access to clean cooking fuels and technologies
60%: Share of fossil fuels in world energy production
(Source: IEA)
Prof. Dr. Rana Atabay Kuşçu – (Biography)
A graduate of Nişantaşı Anatolian High School and Marmara University Department of Economics, Prof. Dr. Rana Atabay Kuşçu completed her master's degree with the thesis "Privatization of Tekel AŞ" and her doctorate with the thesis titled "The Role of New Protectionism in Global Income Distribution." Continuing her academic career, which she started at Istanbul Commerce University, as a faculty member at Istanbul Medipol University Faculty of Business and Management Sciences since 2015, Kuşçu currently serves as the Director of the Vocational School of Social Sciences (SBMYO) and also as the Director of SURKAM (Sustainable Development Application and Research Center).
This content has been translated using artificial intelligence technology.