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.
Russia’s defense ministry reported shooting down 361 Ukrainian drones overnight, including four guided aerial bombs and a U.S.-made HIMARS missile. ...
Life in Nepal's capital, Kathmandu, returned to normal on Sunday (September 14), just days after deadly protests left at least 51 people dead and blan...
Madrid is set to host high-level talks between the United States and China in the coming days, a development the Spanish government views as an opport...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 14th of September, covering the latest developments you need t...
Russia’s defense ministry reported shooting down 361 Ukrainian drones overnight, including four guided aerial bombs and a U.S.-made HIMARS missile. The attack, part of a broader drone war, briefly sparked a fire at Russia’s Kirishi oil refinery in the northwest, although no injuries were reported.
Life in Nepal's capital, Kathmandu, returned to normal on Sunday (September 14), just days after deadly protests left at least 51 people dead and blanketed the city in smoke.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Israel on Sunday (September 14), stepping into a region already fraught with tension following Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar and its plans to expand settlements in the West Bank.
Madrid is set to host high-level talks between the United States and China in the coming days, a development the Spanish government views as an opportunity to repair strained ties with Washington while consolidating its role as a European interlocutor with Beijing.
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
Music mega-star Taylor Swift and National Football League player Travis Kelce announced their engagement. “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married," the couple wrote in a joint Instagram post, alongside photos of Kelce proposing to Swift in a garden of pink and white flowers.
Scientists have detected DNA from an invasive barnacle species in Canada's Arctic, raising alarm over the loss of the region's natural defence against ecological threats.
A decision on the EU’s proposed 2040 climate emissions target has been delayed, with ministers now set to discuss it at an October summit instead of next week, EU officials said.
A high-level EU summit on Friday reaffirmed Europe’s commitment to electric cars, with the Commission holding firm on CO2 targets through 2035 despite industry calls for flexibility.
A vaccine to protect Australia's koalas against chlamydia has been approved for the first time, a development that scientists believe could stop the spread of the deadly disease that has ravaged populations of the beloved endangered animal.
Pakistan’s eastern towns of Chiniot and Hafizabad are at risk of devastating floods if an irrigation barrage on a major upstream river collapses after torrential rains pushed it beyond capacity, officials warned on Thursday.
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