NEW YORK: As international negotiators committed to working out a draft treaty to halt plastic pollution by November, the UN Secretary-General emphasized the necessity of limiting the “catastrophic” consequences of waste plastics in his message for World Environment Day on Monday.
According to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, over 400 million tonnes of plastic are manufactured worldwide each year, one-third of which is used only once. According to him every day, the equivalent of nearly 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic are dumped into oceans, rivers, and lakes. He emphasized that microplastics are making their way into our food, water, and even the air we breathe. According to the UN Secretary-General, plastic is derived from fossil fuels, and the more plastic we manufacture, the more fossil fuel we burn, and the worse we make the climate crisis.
He also said it has a solution as well, citing the legally binding agreement that is still on track after five days of negotiations involving more than 130 nations last week. He added while emphasizing that a new UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report shows that plastic pollution can be reduced by an incredible 80 percent by 2040 if people act now to reuse, recycle, and shift away from plastics, that this is a promising first step, but we need everyone on board.
He said that we must work together as a government, businesses, and consumers to break our addiction to plastics, promote zero waste, and develop a truly circular economy.
The statistics on the damage that is done by plastics are frightening. Every year, more than 400 million tonnes of plastic are produced worldwide, half of which is intended to be used just once. According to UN data, less than 10% of that is recycled. — APP
