Transforming the Plastic Industry: Global Regulatory Evolution and Sustainability Trends (2018-2024)

Plastics have proved to be an indispensable part of modern life but the impact has been detrimental to their environment, such that there is a need to have strict regulation globally. The Paper investigates how plastic governance has evolved from 2018 to 2024 within ten major economies of the world, which are the European Union, the United States, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Canada, Australia, Brazil, and the United Kingdom. Important steps involve the prohibition of single-use plastics, the increase of recycling by use of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) models, and the incorporation of plastic policies with climate policies. Such measures have hugely lowered waste and enhanced the recycling rates and sustainable use of materials. But there is enforcing inequality as well as structural integrity, which underscores the necessity of global convergence. It is hypothesized that the study suggestions include the reinforcement of global collaboration, the investment in the activities of recycling, and the sustainable materials innovation. In the future, the researcher should analyze the effects of regulations on a longer term and the development of sustainable plastics in the new markets. The work is a contribution to the worldwide dialogue of sustainable waste management and the practice of a circular economy.