The report highlights the importance of a rigorous, analytical approach informed by endpoints like public opinion research, arts and culture, civic initiatives, and environmental policy initiatives.

The report includes ten critical findings on plastic waste, such as plastic entering the ocean tripling by 2040 globally without decisive action and an ambitious, system-wide strategy which could cut that increase by 80%. The report assesses the economic, environmental, and social impacts of primary solutions to the ocean plastic pollution crisis, consistent with the global economic and ecological context such as a 78% reduction of ocean plastics by solutions such as reducing consumption, substituting plastics with other materials, improving plastic design for recycling, and increasing plastic waste collection. Finally, the report includes detailed recommendations based on quantitative analysis to reduce plastic leakage and contain plastic in the economy as well as to change behaviours, investment and innovation.

The report analyses an integrated strategy to achieve system change in the plastic value chain by moving towards a circular economy, reducing dependence on virgin plastic, increasing the proportion of recycled materials, supporting and developing alternatives to plastic, and increasing plastic waste management and infrastructure systems. The model for system change provides a series of recommendations based on quantitative surveying of the potential outcomes of different interventions.

The majority of the report focuses on the results of the model analysis, which assesses the effects of various interventions on reducing plastic leakage, providing outcomes analysis of upstream and downstream solutions through systematic, logical, up-to-date, objective data analysis and evaluating the world plastics situation in terms of developing countries. The model incorporates Monte Carlo Probability Distribution techniques.

The report details a scientific rigour approach to the report that features both a robust and transparent peer review process. The report’s scientists assess ocean plastic pollution, spanning from the causes of the problems to the social, economic, and environmental consequences that follow.

The report concludes that the solutions to the problem of ocean plastics will require a mix of policies, technology, funding, and consumer engagement to address system-level challenges and positively impact every stakeholder in the plastic value chain. The report concludes with practical applications that can help guide policymakers, businesses, and individuals towards more sustainable practices and take more environmental responsibility, whilst ensuring that policies are transparent and that assumptions are accurate and not dependent on the misinformation widely circulating on the topic.