In a few quick years, great momentum has built around a multitude of business efforts to advance a circular economy, particularly in plastic. Fears that plastic particles soon will outnumber fish in the ocean, for instance, have helped to boost efforts such as the New Plastics Economy commitment, by which the Ellen MacArthur Foundation has enlisted 450 signatories pledging to eliminate plastic from becoming waste in the first place.

But how can anyone change what they can't see?

Only about 7 percent of all the plastic produced since 1950 has been recycled, according to a 2017 study. The vast majority of plastic objects and particles are lumped into landfills or scattered throughout ecosystems on water or land, and a small amount has been incinerated. Where exactly is all that plastic, and how did it get there?

The first big collaborative effort to get a clearer picture has shaped up in the form of the Plastic Leak Project guidelines, released in February. The chart-laden, 224-page guidelines were built to help companies quantify plastic waste from several key industries. The goal is to help businesses move beyond commitments and toward science-based action.

Not only does the report focus on marine pollution and other data, but it also provides a clearer picture of what happens with microplastics versus macroplastics, defined as greater than 5 millimeters long.

"The biggest findings are that today we can finally see how much plastic leakage is happening along the value chain, and in which states, in which countries," said Peano, who hopes that industries will adopt the data-driven guidelines suggested by the project.

The goals include helping companies build resilience and uncover ways to innovate in their supply chains, as well as help them to demonstrate leadership and trust around their handling of plastic pollution.

Read the full article about plastic pollution by Elsa Wenzel at GreenBiz.