After a year of unprecedented devastation and loss, the arrival of 2021 has shown us at least a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. Our top priority remains the immediate health and safety of our fellow citizens, but we also have a responsibility to begin planning for a post-pandemic future. Right now, we have a historic opportunity to not just re-build what we’ve lost, but to “build back better” by making environmental sustainability a pillar of our national and global recovery.
Consider the clear and growing problem of plastic pollution. Every minute, the equivalent of a dump truck full of plastic waste seeps into our oceans, and that number is projected to nearly triple by 2040. In order to close the loop on waste flowing into our oceans and other ecosystems, we need to create a truly circular economy in which plastic maintains its value at every stage of its life cycle, stopping it from becoming waste in the first place. But in order to accomplish that, we first need a firm grasp of the policy proposals, emerging technologies, and other potential solutions that will shape much of the dialogue around this critical issue.