A Paris Agreement for plastics

Plastics and the Environment

About 350 million tonnes of plastics are produced annually, and more than half of that is dumped in either a landfill or the ocean every year. Plastics - whether soluble, disposable, or durable - cause pollution at almost every stage of their lifecycle, starting with the use of fossil fuels for their production. However, they are also essential for a cleaner and more sustainable future, thanks to practical applications ranging from water-purification to medical devices. A global plastic-pollution treaty is now on the horizon, though new materials, policies, recycling technologies, and regulations are also required to help responsibly reduce plastic consumption and transition to ...