DAVOS, SWITZERLAND -- The world is being choked by discarded plastic packaging, but until now very little has been done about it.

That could all be about to change following groundbreaking research that shows it is possible to eradicate plastic waste if only all the participants in the supply chain, from consumer goods companies to plastics manufacturers, start collaborating. And a key player has already stepped up to help guide this revolution.

A study from the World Economic Forum and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation , with analytical support from consultants McKinsey, has shown that by redesigning materials and developing new technologies, plastics will never again have to end up in the oceans or in landfills.

The reason action is so important is that while the use of plastics has increased twentyfold in the past 50 years, it is expected to double again within the next 20 years, per the report.