The world cannot handle huge plastic waste
The world won’t manage the rising plastic waste in ten years unless countries limit plastic production. The vice president of a coalition of key countries made this statement ahead of crucial talks to combat global plastic pollution.
The United Nations special talks on plastic pollution are starting two days ago in Busan, South Korea. A global agreement to stop plastic pollution will be discussed here.
Before the conference, Norway’s Minister for International Development, Anne Beith Tvinnerei, acknowledged the division between plastic-producing countries and other countries.
She represents more than 60 ambitious countries led by Rwanda and Norway. These countries are in favor of curbing plastic pollution. They want to drastically reduce plastic production.
The Norwegian minister believes that a perfect agreement may not be possible due to opposing forces such as oil-producing countries. But she hopes that they can reach an agreement that will become stronger over time.
Tvinnerei said, “We will not be able to make a perfect agreement. But we need to go further. I think we can do it. I prefer to be optimistic.”
“With the ambitious coalition, we will show that many countries are together to achieve the goal. Now the world needs leadership and good news,” she added.
She continued, and informed, “Studies this year have shown that microplastics are present in every single fetal sample tested.” “They have reached the arteries of all humans.”
“They have also been linked to heart attacks and strokes. The plastic crisis is recognized as a threat to human health, biodiversity and the climate,” she further said.
Two years after a landmark agreement involving 175 countries to address plastic pollution, delegates remain divided on how to proceed.
Little progress has been made on dismantling the $712 billion plastics industry. The last talks on this in April and the issue of setting production targets also failed.
