Whisper it, but the boom in plastic production could be about to come to a juddering halt | Geoffrey Lean

A plastics treaty is on the cards – and it could join the rescue of the ozone layer as a landmark success in environmental diplomacyPlastic production has soared some 30-fold since it came into widespread use in the 1960s. We nowchurn out about 430m tonnes a year, easily outweighing the combined mass of all 8 billion people alive. Left unabated, it continues to accelerate: plastic consumption is due tonearly double by 2050.Now there is a chance that this huge growth will stop, even go into reverse. This month in Paris, the world ’s governments agreed to draft a new treaty to control plastics. The UN says it couldcut production by a massive 80% by 2040.Geoffrey Lean is a specialist environment correspondent and authorContinue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Climate crisis Environment Plastics United Nations Pollution Science Source Type: news