Plastics linked to $1.5 trillion in global health damage

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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