According to a recent study by a prestigious medical journal, governments and taxpayers are spending $1.5 trillion a year trying to address the growing number of injuries, disabilities, and fatalities brought on by the material contaminating our bodies, land, and water.
According to a review of previous studies released on Sunday by The Lancet, the production of plastic is expected to triple by 2060, less than 10% of it is recycled, and around 8,000 megatons of plastic currently poison the earth.
With NBC 7, you can watch San Diego News for free, anywhere, at any time.
According to the British journal, this harms the ecosystem at every stage of its lifespan, from the production and extraction of fossil fuels to human consumption and eventual disposal.
According to the report, plastics pose a serious, expanding, and little-known threat to the health of people and the environment. Plastics contribute to pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss in addition to causing illness and mortality in people of all ages.
With our News Headlines email, you can receive the best local San Diego stories every morning.
It further said that low-income and vulnerable groups are disproportionately affected by these consequences.
Experts have recently issued a severe warning regarding the pervasiveness and danger of plastic, which one journal referred to as the “defining material of our age.” Microplastics are now being detected inside humans, including in breast milk and brain tissue, following decades of scientists warning about plastic being found in rivers and oceans.
The Lancet Countdown on Health and Plastics, a new monitoring system that was launched on Sunday, claims to follow political efforts to address the issue.
U.S. & World
The vast majority of U.S. adults are stressed about grocery costs, AP poll finds
15 National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day deals to save you a sweet chunk of change
It was introduced in tandem with the most recent and last round of negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, where 175 nations are attempting to adopt the first Global Plastics Treaty ever.
The negotiations, which begin Tuesday and last through August 14, are expected to produce required goals for cutting plastic output, according to campaigners. China, Russia, Iran, and Saudi Arabia are among the nations that have so far criticized these policies and advocated for greater recycling of plastic.
The Lancet claims that because these petrochemical behemoths are shifting their operations toward plastic in response to the global drop in demand for fossil fuels, they are a major contributor to the skyrocketing production of plastic.
According to the study, up to 16,000 compounds used to make various plastics can enter the human body through the mouth, nose, and skin. These chemicals are frequently found in food and drink containers and packaging.
According to the report, miscarriages, physical deformities, diminished cognitive function, and diabetes are among the risks that particularly affect unborn children, newborns, and young children. Adults are at risk for cancer, stroke, and cardiovascular disease.
“It is reasonable to conclude that the full extent of these chemicals’ harms to health is underestimated, and that the burden of disease currently attributed to them is undercounted,” the statement continued, citing the significant gaps in information regarding plastic chemicals.
According to a research cited in The Lancet, the costs of these illnesses are estimated to be $1.5 trillion worldwide.
According to The Lancet, it is now evident that recycling alone will not solve the world’s plastic pollution problem. It will take ongoing study in addition to science-based measures such as legislation, policies, monitoring, enforcement, incentives, and technologies to control the plastics catastrophe.
