As Planet Chokes on Plastic Waste, UN Report Offers Roadmap to Tackle Global Crisis
Published on
Tuesday, June 05, 2018
by Common Dreams
The analysis comes amid warnings that plastic pollution has become "one of our planet's greatest environmental challenges."
by Jessica Corbett, staff writer
In what's being called "hope for a better planet on #WorldEnvironmentDay," a United Nations report published Tuesday found "surging momentum in global efforts" to eradicate single-use plastics while also warning that poor enforcement is hindering regulations and bans worldwide.
Single-Use Plastics: A Roadmap to Sustainability (pdf) details "what has worked well, what hasn't, and why" in terms of regulating plastic. The report was released by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) as part of a global effort on Tuesday to raise awareness about initiatives to #BeatPlasticPollution.
Plastic pollution has become "one of our planet's greatest environmental challenges," Erik Solheim, head of UNEP, wrote in the introduction of the report, the first comprehensive review of efforts in more than 60 countries to address the crisis.
"Our oceans have been used as a dumping ground, choking marine life and transforming some marine areas into a plastic soup," Solheim continued, detailing the scope of the issue. "In cities around the world, plastic waste clogsdrains, causing floods and breeding disease. Consumed by livestock, it also finds its way into the food chain."
More:
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/06/05/planet-chokes-plastic-waste-un-report-offers-roadmap-tackle-global-crisis