IBM will create a new platform, which will provide data to track plastic waste and recovery services globally.

The development will come as a result of the tech giant’s partnership with the non-profit organisation Alliance to End Plastic Waste.

The platform aims to inform policymakers, regulators and organisations about plastic consumption, waste management and recycling solutions.

Manish Chawla, Global Industry Managing Director, Energy, Resources, and Manufacturing at IBM, said: “Plastics play an essential role in our global economy, from simple packaging and shipping, to critical, life-saving materials for hospitals and healthcare workers.

“By harnessing the power of cloud and artificial intelligence we can bring together valuable and disparate pieces of data in a secured and flexible environment where everyone from Alliance members to governments and regulators can collaborate to address this global challenge.”

Nick Kolesch, Vice President for Projects, Alliance to End Plastic Waste, commented: “A very significant obstacle we face in combatting the plastic waste challenge is how to bring together the multitude of data that exists in a way that’s verifiable, flexible and actionable.”