Plastic pollution is causing more than $1.5 trillion in health-related economic damage each year and is linked to illness and death throughout the human lifespan, according to a new review published in 'The Lancet' on Sunday.
Describing the issue as a 'plastics crisis', the authors stress that it is preventable with the right action. They call for science-backed and cost-effective policies, including strict regulation, enforcement, and financial incentives- modelled on past successes in reducing air pollution and lead exposure.
The findings have been released just as global efforts to forge a legally binding plastics treaty resume in Geneva.
The review warns that plastic pollution is a growing and serious threat to both human and environmental health.
It notes that plastic production has surged from 2 million metric tons in 1950 to 475 million tons in 2022, and could reach 1.2 billion tons by 2060.
Around 8 billion tons of plastic waste has accumulated globally, with most of it still polluting ecosystems due to its resistance to degradation. Fewer than 10% of plastics are ever recycled.
The study comes as representatives from more than 170 countries gather for the second phase of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2), which runs from 5 to 14 August in Geneva. The talks are seen as a critical opportunity to push forward a global treaty aimed at curbing plastic pollution.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy engaged in high-level talks in Berlin from 14-15 December, with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, U.S. envoys, and European leaders, focusing on security guarantees and the framework for a potential peace deal with Russia.
Authorities discovered the lifeless bodies of renowned filmmaker Rob Reiner, aged 78, and his wife, Michele Reiner, 68, in their upscale Brentwood home in Los Angeles on Sunday. The police investigation has labeled the incident an apparent homicide.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 16th of December, covering the latest developments you need to know.
U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that his administration is examining whether Israel violated the Gaza ceasefire agreement by conducting an airstrike on Saturday (13 December) that killed Hamas leader Raad Saad.
Russia’s human rights commissioner, Tatyana Moskalkova, has said that Ukraine has not provided Moscow with a list of thousands of children it alleges were taken illegally to Russia, despite the issue being discussed during talks in Istanbul.
An explosive device found in a vehicle linked to one of the alleged attackers in Bondi shooting has been secured and removed according to Police. The incident left 12 people dead.
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa has offered condolences to President Donald Trump following an ISIS attack near the ancient city of Palmyra that killed two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter, Syrian and U.S. officials said Sunday.
At least 17 people, including students, were killed and 20 others injured after a school bus fell off a cliff in northern Colombia on Sunday, authorities said.
At least 37 people have died and dozens of others were injured after flash floods swept through Morocco’s Atlantic coastal city of Safi on Sunday, authorities said.
At least 37 people have been killed in flash floods triggered by torrential rain in Morocco's Atlantic coastal province of Safi, Moroccan authorities said on Monday (15 December).
Climatologists say Poland has logged its warmest December in 74 years, with 2025 continuing a run of above-average temperatures and repeated national records.
As the world marks the tenth anniversary of the Paris Agreement, progress in combating global climate change is mixed.
An extratropical cyclone has caused widespread disruption across Brazil’s São Paulo state, with powerful winds toppling trees and power lines, blocking streets and leaving large parts of the region without electricity.
Indonesia's military stepped up its relief efforts in three provinces on Sumatra island that have been devastated by deadly floods and landslides, and the country's vice president apologised for shortcomings in the response to last week's disaster.
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