As world leaders gather to forge a global plastics treaty, we must confront the undeniable havoc that plastic pollution wreaks on our health and environment, argues Environmental Health Sciences' chief scientist.
Pete Myers writes for Reuters.
In short:
- The ubiquity of plastic is contaminating our bodies, contributing to health issues like obesity and reducing fertility.
- Recent studies highlight the economic costs of plastic pollution at $250 billion annually in the U.S., with broader implications for public health and safety.
- International treaty discussions aim to address the crisis by phasing out hazardous and unnecessary plastics.
Key quote:
"We must identify any plastic product that is wasteful, unnecessary, unsafe and untested, and get rid of them."
— Dr. Pete Myers, founding member of the Plastic Health Council and chief scientist of Environmental Health Sciences.
Why this matters:
Plastics, pervasive in every corner of our lives, release harmful chemicals that infiltrate human bodies, leading to diseases such as cancer, diabetes and reproductive issues. These same plastics degrade into microplastics that contaminate water sources and ecosystems, affecting wildlife and the broader environmental balance. A plastics treaty can set enforceable standards to reduce the use of hazardous plastics, promote alternatives and lessen the toxic burden on both people and the planet.
Environmental Health News is a newsroom supported by Environmental Health Sciences, where Dr. Myers is a founder and chief scientist. However, we remain editorially independent from Environmental Health Sciences.
