A new study published in Science by researchers from Sweden, Norway and Germany believes that at the current rate of emissions, global plastics may have irreversible effects. At present, the solutions provided by various countries are not enough, and the problem of plastic pollution must be solved from the root. Ignoring the accumulation of persistent plastic pollution in the environment can be costly. A reasonable approach is to take action as soon as possible to reduce plastic emissions in the environment.
Technical solutions for recycling and removing plastics from the environment are being promoted all over the world. As consumers, we believe that all waste can be recycled if plastic waste is sorted. But technically speaking, there are still many limitations in plastic recycling. For example, some countries with good infrastructure have been exporting their plastic waste to countries with poor facilities.
Special Envoy: Microplastics enter the marine food chain from plankton
On July 6, Peter Thomson, a Fijian diplomat and UN Secretary-General’s special envoy for ocean issues, stated at the meeting of the Friends of Nairobi to Prevent Marine Garbage and Plastic Pollution that microplastics enter the marine food chain from plankton. Fiji’s annual plastic production will not reach 1 million tons. It is expected that this number will double by 2030 and will nearly triple by 2040. I call for a strong agreement to fundamentally solve the problem of maritime isolation.
It is estimated that plastic will account for 60-80% of all marine debris. It is estimated that by 2025, every 3 tons of fish in the ocean will contain 1 ton of plastic. 80% of the world’s marine debris comes from land sources, and the remaining 20% comes from marine sources, such as discarded fishing gear.
Canadian agency calls for a nationwide single-use plastic ban
On July 6, Canada’s Oceana Marine Charity called on the government to fight against big plastics and cut off this harmful pollutant from the source. We need to strictly ban hazardous single-use plastics in Canada, which is beyond the six proposed, which is only a small part of 1% of the plastics we use.
Opinion polls show that 90% of Canadians support the proposal to ban the use of single-use plastics, while two-thirds want to expand it to include other hazardous plastic products. Examples include hot and cold beverage cups and lids, cigarette filters, and all forms of polystyrene.
Colorado: Ban the use of single-use plastic bags by 2024
The governor of Denver, Colorado, Jared Polis signed a new law on Tuesday (July 6). The law banned the use of disposable plastic bags and polystyrene packaging from January 1, 2024. Polystyrene is a plastic foam that is commonly used as a takeaway container in restaurants.
