Latest news with #plasticpollution
Trade Arabia
2 hours ago
- Health
- Trade Arabia
Rethink the way we produce, use plastics, urges WHO
On the occasion of the World Environment Day 2025 today (June 5), a call has gone out to rethink how we design, produce, and utilise plastics. Products should be designed with multiple uses in mind and recycling, said a statement from WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region. Led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), this year's campaign focuses on tackling plastic pollution, urging countries, organisations, and individuals to act together to protect the planet. While plastics have benefits, including energy savings and resource conservation, the rising plastic pollution poses a significant threat to our planet and health. Around the globe, plastic pollution is contaminating water supplies, food sources, and the air we breathe. As plastics break down, they enter the food chain. Microplastics have been detected in human arteries, lungs, brains, and breast milk. Global plastic consumption is projected to reach 516 million tonnes this year, and if current consumption patterns continue, it will rise to over 1.2 billion tonnes annually by 2060. Environmental factors contribute to the deaths of about 13 million people worldwide each year. Almost half of these fatalities are attributed to air pollution. The health and economic costs of unhealthy air pollution currently amount to $2.9 trillion. "On World Environment Day, we urge communities to advocate for lasting solutions to combat plastic pollution. Historically, recycling has been a key strategy for mitigating plastic waste. However, only 9% of plastics produced globally are recycled, and it is estimated that just 21% of plastic today is economically recyclable, meaning the value of recycled materials covers the costs of collection, sorting, and processing," said the statement from WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region. "The benefits of addressing plastic pollution include cleaner oceans and landscapes, healthier individuals and ecosystems, improved climate resilience, and stronger economies. Transitioning to a circular economy for plastics is essential for a sustainable future. We must rethink how we design, produce, and utilise plastics. Products should be designed with multiple uses in mind and recycling," it said. This transformation requires the engagement of stakeholders across the plastics value chain. A just transition is necessary to protect the livelihoods of waste pickers and affected communities, leaving no one behind. Solutions exist. In 2022, at the UN Environment Assembly, Member States agreed to initiate negotiations on a legally binding international instrument to address plastic pollution, including its impact on marine environments. Since then, countries have convened 5 sessions of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on Plastic Pollution to work towards a comprehensive agreement.
NHK
10 hours ago
- Politics
- NHK
UNEP chief calls for united international efforts to fight plastic pollution
The head of the United Nations Environment Programme has urged the international community to unite to tackle plastic pollution. UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen made the call in an interview with NHK ahead of the UN-designated World Environment Day on Thursday. Members of an intergovernmental negotiating committee met in the South Korean city of Busan last year to try to reach an agreement on a draft of what would be the first legally binding treaty to curb plastic pollution. But they failed to strike a deal due to differences among countries. Against this backdrop, World Environment Day this year focuses on ending plastic pollution. Andersen said: "I think the whole world is aware that plastic pollution is a problem. It's a problem on our beaches and in our oceans, and it's a problem in our soils and our water and even in our bodies." She expressed hope that an agreement will be reached on a draft of a treaty at a meeting of the committee in Switzerland in August. She said she wants Japan to play a leadership role. Andersen also called for support for emerging economies and developing nations, where plastic pollution could spread in tandem with economic and population growth. She said all countries in the Global South should receive investments to help them optimize waste management.
Free Malaysia Today
a day ago
- Health
- Free Malaysia Today
Scientists in Japan develop plastic that dissolves in seawater within hours
The UN has predicted that plastic pollution will triple by 2040, adding 23-37 million metric tonnes of waste to the world's oceans each year. (LinkedIn pic) WAKO : Researchers in Japan have developed a plastic that dissolves in seawater within hours, offering up a potential solution for a modern-day scourge polluting oceans and harming wildlife. While scientists have long experimented with biodegradable plastics, researchers from the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science and the University of Tokyo say their new material breaks down much more quickly and leaves no residual trace. At a lab in Wako city near Tokyo, the team demonstrated a small piece of plastic vanishing in a container of salt water after it was stirred up for about an hour. While the team has not yet detailed any plans for commercialisation, project lead Takuzo Aida said their research has attracted significant interest, including from those in the packaging sector. Scientists worldwide are racing to develop innovative solutions to the growing plastic waste crisis, an effort championed by awareness campaigns such as World Environment Day taking place on June 5. Plastic pollution is set to triple by 2040, the UN Environment Programme has predicted, adding 23-37 million metric tonnes of waste into the world's oceans each year. 'Children cannot choose the planet they will live on. It is our duty as scientists to ensure that we leave them with best possible environment,' Aida said. Aida said the new material is as strong as petroleum-based plastics but breaks down into its original components when exposed to salt. Those components can then be further processed by naturally occurring bacteria, thereby avoiding generating microplastics that can harm aquatic life and enter the food chain. 'As salt is also present in soil, a piece about 5cm in size disintegrates on land after over 200 hours,' he added. 'The material can be used like regular plastic when coated, and the team are focusing their current research on the best coating methods,' Aida said. 'The plastic is non-toxic, non-flammable, and does not emit carbon dioxide,' he added.
The Independent
a day ago
- Health
- The Independent
New plastic that dissolves in seawater raises hopes for tackling ocean pollution
Scientists in Japan have developed a new type of plastic that dissolves quickly in seawater, offering a potential breakthrough in the fight against ocean pollution. The material, created by researchers at the University of Tokyo, is being described as the fastest-degrading plastic of its kind. The researchers say it can vanish within hours in saltwater or soil without leaving behind harmful microplastics. Plastic pollution has emerged as a major health hazard, with microplastics now found in human organs and even brain and bloodstream. The UN has warned that plastic waste entering the oceans could triple by 2040 unless urgent action is taken. While recycling rates remain dismally low, especially for single-use plastics, scientists and innovators are racing to develop alternative materials that break down more easily or bypass the problem altogether. In a laboratory demonstration, a small piece of the material disintegrated in a tub of seawater after only an hour of stirring, according to a study published in the journal Science. Scientists say the material maintains the strength of traditional petroleum-based plastic, but, when exposed to salt, breaks down into its original components, which are then digested by naturally occurring bacteria. The breakthrough comes at a time when plastic waste continues to flood the world's oceans. Global plastic pollution is estimated to triple by 2040, with the UN Environment Programme warning that up to 37 million tonnes of waste could enter marine ecosystems each year. The innovation was announced ahead of the World Environment Day on 5 June as countries prepare for the next round of negotiations on a global plastics treaty in August, after failing to agree a deal in December. While the dissoluble plastic is not yet commercially available, the researchers are working on developing coatings that will allow the material to be used like conventional plastic in packaging and other everyday applications without compromising its rapid degradability in nature. Project lead Takuzo Aida said the team had already seen interest from the packaging industry. 'Children cannot choose the planet they will live on. It is our duty as scientists to ensure that we leave them with the best possible environment,' he told Reuters news agency. What sets this new plastic apart is its ability to disappear not just in water but also in soil which contains salt. A 5cm piece can degrade completely after about 200 hours in moist earth, according to the researchers. It is also non-toxic and non-flammable and emits no carbon dioxide as it breaks down, the researchers say. But experts warn that any plastic alternative will need to overcome challenges like beating the low cost of traditional plastic and the lack of infrastructure for production. There have been several technological breakthroughs in plastic alternatives in recent years but scaling them for wider commercial use has been a challenge. Scientists in Switzerland recently created a tough, biodegradable film made from the living fibres of a mushroom. This fungi-based material is not only compostable but also edible and self-reinforcing, potentially useful for packaging or cosmetics. In 2022, scientists at Rutgers University, in partnership with Harvard University, created an antimicrobial and biodegradable spray-on protective coating for produce and other food items. Made out of plant cellulose, the spray is designed to be rinsed off with water and, according to the scientists, degrade in soil within three days.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
France's recycling model inspires global plastic waste reforms
France's extended producer responsibility (EPR) programme is gaining renewed global attention as governments seek sustainable ways to reduce plastic pollution. Launched over three decades ago, the system shifts the environmental burden of packaging waste from taxpayers to producers, requiring manufacturers to fund and manage the entire lifecycle of packaging. With World Environment Day on 5 June highlighting the challenge of plastic waste, many countries are evaluating EPR as a potential solution. Under France's model, companies that produce or sell packaged products must contribute financially to the collection, sorting, recycling, and reduction of packaging waste. These payments are managed by producer responsibility organisations (PROs) such as Citeo, which oversees both packaging and graphic paper. In 2023, this amounted to €1.6 billion, funding recycling infrastructure, eco-design initiatives, and public awareness campaigns. Jean Hornain, CEO of Citeo, described the goal as building a circular economy, in which packaging materials are used more efficiently, reused when possible, and recycled after use. He acknowledged that while EPR does lead to small cost increases—roughly one or two euro cents per item—the long-term environmental and economic savings outweigh these costs. Unlike tax-based schemes, France's EPR programme has remained politically resilient due to its collaborative structure. Fees paid by companies are reinvested directly into local recycling systems rather than diverted into general government revenue. This approach fosters shared responsibility among businesses, municipalities, and citizens, helping to depoliticise the issue and create a stable funding mechanism for waste management. Hornain said that although the system is not without inefficiencies, its core principle—that producers must bear responsibility for the environmental impact of their packaging—has never been seriously contested. Broad political and public consensus has helped cement the programme's longevity and credibility. As plastic pollution intensifies worldwide, EPR is increasingly seen as a practical policy tool. Countries participating in the upcoming round of UN-led negotiations in Geneva in August are expected to consider it as part of a global plastics treaty. Hornain highlighted key factors for a successful EPR system: mandatory compliance, robust oversight to ensure all companies participate, engagement from all stakeholders, and support for informal waste pickers. He noted that programmes must also prioritise waste reduction at the design stage, not just focus on end-of-life recycling. France is now expanding its reuse initiatives. Starting this summer, pilot projects in four regions will test standardised reusable packaging, such as refillable beer and milk bottles. These efforts aim to reduce the reliance on virgin plastic and reinforce the principles of a circular economy. Currently, around 70% of household packaging in France is recycled, and momentum is growing for reuse schemes. While EPR alone cannot resolve the plastic crisis, Hornain argues it remains a critical component of the broader strategy to reduce environmental harm and manage resources more responsibly. "France's recycling model inspires global plastic waste reforms" was originally created and published by Packaging Gateway, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
