Photo: Getty ImagesA powerful marriage between the fossil fuel and plastic industries threatens to exacerbate the global plastic pollution crisis. The United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) has recognised plastic pollution as a "rapidly increasing serious issue of global concern that needs an urgent global response". A specialist group formed last year proposed an international treaty on plastic pollution as the most effective response. Producing lower-grade materials from plastic waste (such as roads, fenceposts and park benches) is not the solution either. Plastic pollution can end up thousands of kilometres from the source.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 24, 2019 14:26 UTC