Plastic Free July is an opportunity to reflect on the pervasiveness of plastic in our daily lives and highlight opportunities to build a circular economy. Plastic production increased more than 200-fold between 1950 and 2019, growing from 2 million tonnes to 460 million tonnes per year, yet only 14–18% of plastic is recycled globally.

Economist Impact's Sustainability Project spoke with me about the implications of the UN Treaty on Plastic Pollution and other recent signs of progress on the circular economy for plastics.

The Economist Educational Foundation is an independent charity that empowers young people to have high-quality discussions about current affairs. To help them achieve this, I am taking part in a fundraising challenge.

Tomorrow I will be moderating two sessions at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's flagship annual event on the circular economy, with this year's event focusing on "Regenerative by Design".

The World Ocean Initiative team was on the ground last month at the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon and the UN World Oceans Day events in New York. Read more for an overview of recent coverage from the World Ocean Initiative.