Clean sustainable environment a human right – Historic UN ruling
Now governments have an obligation to fulfil this, how will they do it and how will it impact the plastics industry?
A clean, healthy and sustainable environment is vital for our survival, the ruling should help catalyze a change towards more sustainable production and consumption.
Discover the province in the Philippines where zero waste is becoming a reality. Read the full story here
Can bioplastics or plastic fuel help solve the plastic crisis?
A new website provides clear, science-based information on popular plastic “solutions”. The website has been created by Break Free From Plastic ‘This brand new website offers information and analysis of a range of ‘plastic solutions’, aiming to undermine the industry greenwashing and misinformation. Each solution analysis is fully referenced and has been reviewed by an expert panel of scientists.’
10 common single-use plastic items banned in Cyprus
Retailers must stop selling plastic straws, cups, cutlery and foam boxes from October this year. Find out more about it here
Teenagers can now gain a qualification in climate change
The new Northern Irish syllabus will cover single-use plastic and fast fashion, but how should they be taught? Will the responsibility for change be placed on the right people? Find out more about the qualification here
Greenwash.com: new website exposes false environmental claims
From plastics and packaging to fast fashion, this new website helps you stay informed about industry greenwashing.
An island of plastic wipes changes course of UK river
Wet wipes form an island the size of two tennis courts in the Thames, changing the course of the river. Find out more about this here
Microplastics found in meat, dairy and animal blood
The Dutch study found plastic in 75% of supermarket meat and milk and in the blood of farmed pigs & cows.
Festivals in Netherlands to stop using single-use cups
After successful trials, reusable cups will soon be the new norm for Dutch festival-goers. Find out more about how this system will work and people’s reactions to it here
Trash Hero Luzern’s brand audit makes the news
Tele 1 reporters joined the volunteers at their 25th cleanup in the Swiss city. The team conducted a cleanup and a brand audit. A brand audit records information about the companies producing the plastic found at cleanups and contributes to global research on corporate polluters. The full video, currently only available in Swiss German, can be watched here
A policy 4 years in the making: India bans single-use plastics
A step in the right direction, but are communities and corporations ready for the change? This interesting analysis looks at how the ban is working in practice and its long term prospects.
1. US Supreme Court removes EPA’s power to limit CO2 emissions
Blow to climate action: the US Environmental Protection Agency can no longer force power plants to reduce emissions. The Environmental Protection Agency of the world’s second largest greenhouse gas emitter has been prevented from regulating emissions from fossil fuel plants, leaving the US government with limited means to reach its target of a decarbonised power grid by 2035 – and unknown consequences for the global fight against climate change. Read the full story here.
2. Viruses are hitchhiking on microplastics
Intestinal viruses have been found to survive for up to three days on microplastics in water. Read more about what this means for our health here.
3. Effective change needs participation, not penalties!
New research in Indonesia confirms what Trash Hero has always believed: empowering communities – not punitive fines – is the key to successful marine protection. Read the full research here.
4. It’s Plastic Free July
Whether you are a consumer or a producer of plastic, this month it’s time to start making changes:
They said single-use sachets were “evil” and vowed to stop producing them. Secretly, they lobbied against laws that would ban them. Find out why in Reuter’s new report.
EU agrees to common charger
No more unnecessary e-waste (and tangled cables)! The EU will enforce a “single charger” rule for all electronics starting from 2024
Circular economy predicted to create 250,000 jobs in London by 2030
New research shows that by working towards a circular economy, London could see an extra 250,000 jobs in less than ten years! Find out how in ReLondon’s report
The findings add to a growing body of research that says zero waste models have huge economic and social benefits.
Global plastic waste set to triple by 2060
If nothing changes, three times the amount of plastic will be entering our lives by 2060, says the OECD, with less than a fifth of it being recycled. Their new report claims the “business-as-usual” approach is unsustainable.
Packaging waste – how citizens pay for businesses’ irresponsibility
Dragana Katić, the founder of Trash Hero Beograd, explains why citizens are not to blame for the current plastic crisis and what can be done to improve the situation.Read the full article in Balkan Green Energy News
Plastic coming into contact with our food has been a source of concern for many years, but it would seem the contamination starts much earlier than the final packaging
It is common knowledge that microplastics pose a serious threat to environmental and human health. Not only have microplastics been found in our drinking water, food supply and even the air we breathe, but recent studies have also found microplastics in human blood and lung tissue (you can read more about that here). Their presence in the cosmetic industry has been exposed and many countries have introduced, or are working to introduce, microplastics bans in cosmetic products such as toothpastes and face washes. However, something that has not been much discussed is the presence of plastic and microplastics in the agricultural industry. The Centre for International Environmental Law (CIEL) recently published a report on the role of microplastics in agriculture, and the information is concerning.
The use of plastic is visibly prevalent in agriculture – it is used to cover crops, package products, and construct greenhouses and landscaping. This use of plastic is obvious and clear for everyone to see. However, what is not so obvious is that microplastics are being intentionally used as part of the fertilisation process.
Marketed as being key to sustainable and ‘climate friendly’ agriculture, fertilisers are coated in microplastics to help control their release once in the soil. This is achieved through microencapsulation, the process of wrapping a nutrient or chemical in a synthetic polymer material (a form of plastic) to create a small pellet. Controlled-release fertilisers (CRFs) use these coatings to slowly release their contents over a longer period of time. The coatings remain in the soil once the fertiliser has been released and does not degrade. The toxins they contain accumulate in the soil, ready to be absorbed by the crops, or leaked into the air and water supply
This CRF technology is not new – it was introduced in 1970 1 – but recently producers have been strongly pushing its use as a ‘planet-safe option’. No mention is made in the new-style marketing of the impact on the soil and food chain; instead they claim greater efficiency, without any solid data to back this up. In fact, according to the CIEL report, these plastic-coated fertilisers are unnecessary. There are effective and more climate-friendly alternatives that exist, methods that reduce the use of synthetic (fossil- fuel- based) pesticides and fertilisers altogether
How much microplastic is being used?
It will likely come as a surprise to hear that it is not the cosmetics industry that is responsible for the majority of primary microplastics currently being used (primary microplastics are microplastics that are intentionally produced, secondary microplastics are those that come from plastic breaking down). In a 2019 report from the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) it was found that microplastics intentionally added to fertilisers, pesticides and seed coatings accounted for an estimated half of the 51,500 tonnes of microplastics used each year in the European Economic Area (EEA). They estimated that 22,500 tonnes were used in fertilisers and 500 tonnes used in pesticides 2. These numbers show that, within the EEA, the agricultural sector uses more microplastics than any other industry.
Not only are they using more microplastics than any other industry, but these microplastics are being placed directly into the natural environment, affecting our health as well as that of the fauna and flora worldwide.
How do microplastics impact us?
These plastic-coated agrochemicals directly introduce microplastics into the environment and potentially into our food supply. Even prior to being coated in plastic, there are risks to the environment and our health from using synthetic fertilisers and pesticides – much like plastic itself they are derived from oil and gas and are seen as some of the most harmful and toxic substances used globally.3
Some of the health concerns from microplastic exposure include: increased cancer risk, cellular mutations or cell death, heart disease, chronic inflammation, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and more. 4
What can be done?
Primary microplastic pollution is preventable, however regulation is severely lacking.
‘The current level of action is not yet adequate for addressing sound management of intentionally added microplastics’
It is vital that as we go forward, as we continue our war on plastic, that those with the power to implement regulations and rules in regards to microplastics across all industries do so. The use of primary microplastics must be stopped in the agricultural sector, and indeed across all manufactured products. This cannot just be on the national level, but something that must be implemented globally. Global treaties are the key to impactfully reducing plastic and a comprehensive global approach must be developed and enforced.
Until recently, coverage of the impact of plastic pollution has tended to focus on marine debris and harm done to wildlife. Recent developments, however, indicate that the species most widely affected by plastic could well be us: humans.
A series of reports published over the last month highlight how far plastic has travelled – not only into the Antarctic, or the Mariana Trench, but deep inside our own bodies.
On 24 March, it was announced that 4 out of 5 people may already have tiny pieces of plastic circulating in their blood. 77% of the samples tested in a study funded by the NGO Common Seas came back positive for plastic – mainly PET, polystyrene and polyethylene – common plastics found in clothing and food packaging.
Common Seas admits the finding raises more questions than answers. Does the plastic accumulate in our bodies over time? Can it travel into our organs? Will it trigger diseases such as cancer? It has called on the UK government to invest £15 million (USD 19.7 million) in further research to uncover the links between plastic and our health. This research is urgently needed as many scientists believe that plastic may be the next public health crisis, much like asbestos and smoking in the past. Findings in lab conditions have already shown that microplastics cause damage to human cells.
In early April, another British study found that 11 out of 13 people sampled had microplastics lodged deep inside their lungs. The study was the first of its kind conducted on tissue from living people, who were undergoing surgery. Here, the most common particles found were polypropylene (23%) and PET (18%), again both common types of plastic to which we are exposed on a daily basis. Two previous studies had found microplastics at similarly high rates in lung tissue taken during autopsies.
Although it has been known for some time that microplastics can be inhaled, this is the first time that they have been found in the lower regions of the lungs. According to one of the report’s authors, Laura Sadofsky, they should normally have been trapped or filtered out of the airways before getting that far.
The final report, released by Plastic Soup Foundation (PSF) on World Health Day, 7 April, gives us an indication of another way plastic may be entering our bodies. We are literally rubbing it into our skin, hair and teeth! PSF’s analysis of 7,704 cosmetic products from popular brands in the EU revealed that 9 out of 10 contained some form of microplastics.
Microplastics are commonly defined as solid particles, under 0.5mm in length. They usually come from textiles (fibres shed from synthetic clothing, carpets etc.), larger pieces of plastic that have degraded, or – in the case of cosmetics – “microbeads”. Microbeads are tiny pieces of plastic (usually polyethylene and polymethyl methacrylate) added to products to aid exfoliation.
What PSF discovered was that there are also plenty of invisible microplastics in our products. Liquid and semi-liquid polymer-based ingredients are routinely and deliberately added to help foam, smooth and bulk out various toiletries and treatments. As these are blended in, they can’t be seen: they are only discovered by reading the small print on the ingredient list. In some cases, up to 90% of a cosmetic product may be comprised of microplastic ingredients.
In the report, Plastic: The Hidden Beauty Ingredient, PSF calls for the EU to expand its current definition of microplastics, which will be used to regulate the cosmetics industry, to include liquid and semi-liquid plastics as well as solid plastic particles. This will, they say, close glaring loopholes and make our personal products safer for both the environment and our health.
The cosmetic industry in Europe alone uses 8,700 tonnes of microplastics every year, with an estimated 3,800 tonnes going down the drain and into the waterways. At least some of the rest will be in our bodies – and the health impacts remain unclear. Right now, reducing the amount of plastic we produce and use, in both products and packaging, is the safest option to protect ourselves and future generations from harm.
If you’d like to take further action, both Common Seas and Plastic Soup Foundation have petitions to which you can add your voice. Click on their names to sign.
Trash Hero World is honoured to have been granted formal consultative status at the United Nations Environmental Assembly (UNEA). This “observer status” is awarded through an accreditation from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which we received on 16 March 2022.
UNEP has been working for 50 years to protect the environment, fight climate change and support sustainable development. It sets the environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. UNEA is its governing body, comprising of 193 member states, representatives from civil society, businesses, and other major groups and stakeholders. It is the world’s highest-level decision-making body on the environment.
The full list of UNEP-accredited organisations, including Trash Hero World, can be found on the UNEP website.
As an official observer, we are now among 500+ NGOs globally who can give input to policy discussions and participate in the UNEA sessions and those of its subsidiary bodies. With the announcement of a legally binding global plastics treaty at the recent UNEA-5.2 in Nairobi, it is a very exciting time to join and to be able to give voice to the needs and views of our grassroots volunteer network, many of whom are working on the frontline of the plastics crisis in Southeast Asia.
SeemaTrash Hero World receives UN Environment accreditation
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