Plastic pollution has quietly evolved into one of the most significant disruptors of modern economies, livelihoods, and biodiversity — particularly in coastal nations that rely heavily on tourism and fisheries.

The loss of biodiversity is not merely an environmental concern; it is a profound economic threat. Natural capital — our planet’s stock of renewable and non-renewable resources — forms the foundation upon which economies and societies are built.

Experts warn that plastic can take hundreds to thousands of years to decompose. During this time, it wreaks havoc on the natural world. Marine animals ingest or become entangled in plastic debris, often leading to starvation, suffocation, or death.

Microplastics contaminate soil, rivers, and oceans, disrupting entire food chains — from plankton to fish to humans. Plastic waste also degrades critical habitats such as coral reefs, wetlands, and mangroves, leaving many species endangered or displaced.

As a result, ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, water purification, and sustainable fisheries are being severely compromised.

According to a PwC research, 55% of global GDP directly depends on biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Yet, an estimated 20mn metric tonnes of plastic enter the environment every year, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF). These materials break down into microscopic particles that infiltrate ecosystems, food webs, and even human bloodstreams — strangling coral reefs, poisoning fish, and degrading vital habitats such as seagrass beds and mangroves that protect coastlines from storms and support millions of livelihoods.

Tourism, recently projected by WEF to contribute $16tn to global GDP by 2034, represents both a tremendous opportunity and a pressing challenge. Without decisive intervention, the sector could generate up to 205mn tonnes of waste annually, much of it plastic — threatening the very ecosystems on which it depends.

Marine plastic pollution already costs some countries hundreds of millions of dollars in lost tourism revenue, depleted fisheries, and cleanup costs, with the greatest burden falling on Global South communities least equipped to manage it.

In Indonesia, for instance — home to the world’s second-highest level of biodiversity after Brazil— approximately 600,000 tonnes of plastic enter the ocean each year. Recognising the threat this poses to its rich natural heritage, the government has acted decisively to safeguard its ecosystems and livelihoods. Microplastics have become pervasive in Indonesian waters and soils, damaging crops, degrading soil health, and threatening to reduce global food yields by 4–14%.

Economically, ocean plastic leakage costs the nation an estimated IDR225tn ($13.7bn) annually.

At the same time, over 90% of plastic globally remains unrecycled, representing a vast untapped economic opportunity.

With the right systems, incentives, and technologies, this waste could be transformed into valuable resources — protecting biodiversity while driving sustainable economic growth.

While recent global negotiations on a binding plastics treaty have yet to produce a final agreement, meaningful progress continues through voluntary action. Indonesia is at the forefront of this movement through its National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP), which aims to reduce marine plastic leakage by 70% by 2025, aligned with national waste management and marine debris strategies.

As part of the World Economic Forum’s Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP), the Indonesian NPAP illustrates how national efforts can be amplified through international collaboration — ensuring that lessons and solutions are shared globally.

With the support of the Government of Canada, GPAP is strengthening this initiative by directly linking plastic pollution reduction with biodiversity protection — safeguarding ecosystems and livelihoods while advancing a circular, sustainable future.

Ultimately, plastic pollution is an escalating emergency that threatens ecosystems essential to life and climate stability, imposes rising economic costs across industries and nations, and endangers food security, public health, and sustainable development.

Addressing this crisis certainly requires urgent international co-operation, corporate accountability, and a systemic transition toward circular economies centred on reduction, reuse, and responsible production.