july24, 2020

Anna Murray 

The rapid growth in plastic production and its use has the earth confronted with a waste disaster. Plastic pollution is globally ubiquitous and is found throughout the oceans, in lakes and rivers, in soils and sediments, in the atmosphere, and in animal biomass.

The research study, entitled “Evaluating scenarios toward zero plastic pollution”, was conducted from a group of international researchers led by Winnie W. Y. Lau and published an article in the journal Science on July 23. The study stated even if the world embarked on an immediate and globally-coordinated effort to reduce plastic consumption by 80%, there would still be a massive build-up of accumulated plastic, estimated 710 million metric tons, which will pollute the environment by 2040.

To minimize plastic pollution, reducing plastic consumption, increasing the rates of reusing plastic, improving waste collection and recycling, and expanding safe disposal systems are needed. Consumer intervention is needed most appreciably to reduce the flow of plastic pollution into the environment; therefore, the research study called for substantial commitments to achieve this goal from businesses, governments and the international community.