Climate Politics
The World Is Choking on Plastic Pollution. Can Countries Find a Fix?
Talks in Kenya for a global plastic treaty will pit nations that want voluntary targets against others pushing for binding rules.
Plastic waste in Accra, Ghana.
Photographer: Nipah Dennis/BloombergIn March 2022, the world decided it was time to address the growing scourge of plastic pollution. About 430 million tons of plastic are produced annually, according to the United Nations, two-thirds of that just for short-term use. And at the rate we are going, the amount is set to triple by 2060.
There were meetings and conferences. Then two months ago, the UN’s lead negotiators released a “zero draft” of a global plastics treaty.
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The World Is Choking on Plastic Pollution. Can Countries Find a Fix?