Ten Shocking Facts Driving Global Action Against Plastic Pollution

Photo by Naja Bertolt Jensen on Unsplash

Imagine a garbage truck full of plastic driving up to the seashore and dumping all its contents into the ocean. A minute later, the next one arrives and does the same, and this continues every minute, 24/7/365, for decades, and you know we have a problem to solve. 

The global plastic crisis comes on top of the climate crisis, the biodiversity crisis, our overstepping of other planetary boundaries, and the seemingly ever-increasing geopolitical instability of our time.

Today, there was a bit of hopeful news since negotiators from more than 170 nations started a third round of talks in Nairobi, Kenya, over a landmark international treaty to combat plastic pollution. The urgency of this effort should be apparent for all to see when you look at the staggering numbers of the ongoing global plastic pollution crisis. Approximately 430 million tonnes of plastic are produced annually, around two-thirds of which is thrown away, harming the environment and the food chain.

The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-3) is now reconvening in Kenya, where the law forbids the manufacture, sale, and use of single-use plastic bags. The delegations in the meeting, and lobbyists from the oil industry and environmental organizations that tend to flock to these kinds of negotiations, will focus on the so-called "zero draft" of the international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, released earlier this year. The goal is to conclude talks by the end of 2024.

The devastating impact of plastic pollution on ecosystems, climate, the economy, and human health is estimated to cost the planet between $300 and $600 billion per year. And the problem increases: Plastic production is expected to almost triple by 2060 if no action is taken. Organizers, therefore, call for a transition from the "throwaway economy" to a "reuse economy." 

Photo by Antoine GIRET on Unsplash

Delegations in Nairobi will also meet at side events to address various aspects of plastic pollution, like sustainable production and consumption or shifting to a 'circular plastic' approach. Other approaches focus on reducing plastic production, eliminating single-use and short-lived plastic products, and switching to non-plastic substitutes. The results of the current session in Nairobi will feed into another round of draft discussions scheduled for April 2024 in Canada.

Ten stunning facts about the plastic problem:

1. Plastic pollution is a global problem:

   Every year, 19-23 million tonnes of plastic waste leaks into aquatic ecosystems, polluting lakes, rivers, and seas. This adds to the more than 5 trillion pieces of plastic already floating in our oceans.

2. Plastic pollution affects marine life:

   More than 700 species of marine animals have been reported to have eaten or become entangled in plastic. Like many plastic-related problems, you don't see much of it. For instance, you see only a fraction of the plastic waste problem when you walk on the beach, but what you will notice, even on relatively clean beaches, is the high percentage of plastic litter in all waste. You will recognize the filters from cigarette butts, bottles, bottle caps, plastic ropes, food wrappers, grocery bags, and polystyrene containers. Worldwide, 73 percent of beach litter is plastic.

3. Plastic pollution harms human health:

   Microplastics have been found in tap water, bottled water, seafood, and the deepest trenches of the oceans. Worse, plastics are even in the air we breathe, and you can find them throughout the human body, where they accumulate over time. Scientists don't fully understand yet the effects of these microplastics on our health, but from what they know, they are increasingly concerned. 

4. Plastic pollution is a threat to biodiversity:

   Plastic pollution can harm or kill wildlife, disrupt ecosystems, and reduce biodiversity. By 2050, virtually every seabird species on the planet will be eating plastic.

5. Plastic waste lasts forever.

   Estimates for how long plastic endures range from 450 years to forever.

6. Plastic pollution is a significant contributor to climate change:

   The production and disposal of plastic contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to climate change. Unfortunately, world plastic production has increased exponentially from 2.1 million tonnes in 1950 to 147 million in 1993 to 406 million by 2015.

7. Plastic pollution disproportionately affects low-income communities:

   Low-income communities and communities of color are often disproportionately affected by plastic pollution and its health impacts.

8. Plastic pollution is a waste of resources:

   Plastic waste represents a loss of valuable resources and economic opportunities. As of 2015, more than 6.3 billion tonnes of plastic waste had been generated. Only around 9 percent of that was recycled, 12 percent was incinerated, and 79 percent accumulated in landfills or the environment.

9. Plastic pollution is preventable:

   There are many solutions to plastic pollution, including reducing plastic production, improving waste management, and promoting sustainable alternatives to plastic. Around the world, nearly a million plastic beverage bottles are sold every minute; think of the last plastic bottle you bought. Wasn't there an alternative?

10. Plastic pollution is a social justice issue:

    Like many global challenges, you can't address this problem without considering systemic inequalities and injustices contributing to environmental degradation and harm.

What do you do to reduce the problem of plastic?

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Notes:

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/nations-gather-in-nairobi-to-hammer-out-treaty-on-plastic-pollution/ar-AA1jPo1Y