Research indicates that by 2050, plastic consumption will have nearly doubled.

According to research released on Monday, the G20 countries' use of plastic is projected to nearly double by the middle of the century unless a comprehensive and binding global treaty to reduce consumption is drafted.

A more thorough global strategy is required, according to Back to Blue, a research team run by the Economist Impact think-tank and the Nippon Foundation, a private philanthropic organization. Existing programs to increase recycling or reduce the consumption of single-use plastics have only "scratched the surface."

The United Nations kicked off negotiations on an agreement to tackle plastic pollution in Uruguay in November, with 175 countries signing up. However, if negotiations fail, annual plastic production in G20 countries could rise to 451 million tonnes by 2050.

Back to Blue reported that the combined measures could reduce annual consumption to 325 million tonnes by 2050, but that would still be up by a quarter from 2019 and the equivalent of 238 million fully loaded garbage trucks.

According to the report, Brazil, the United States, Indonesia, and Turkey are among the G20 nations that have not yet enacted national bans on single-use plastic products.