Of the more than 7bn tonnes of plastic waste that humans have generated in their time on Earth, more than two-thirds has been dumped into the environment — buried, or burnt, or even circulating in our bloodstreams.
And the world’s best hope for a solution to the problem of plastic waste lies in an unwieldy 70-page draft document containing starkly conflicting views. It will be discussed at the fifth and final round of the UN plastic talks in Busan, South Korea, this week, where country delegates will try to shape it into a global treaty.
“It’s crucial that we agree on an effective treaty in Busan,” says Anne Beathe Tvinnereim, Norway’s minister of international development. “We can’t wait another 10 years from now to deliver results.” Plastic pollution is expected to double in 20 years unless the world takes action, she adds.