Image by MOHAMED ABDULRAHEEM

Each day 2000 garbage trucks full of plastic are dumped into the world’s oceans and waterways.

As a result, up to 23 million tones of plastic waste leaks into lakes, rivers and seas.

Plastic makes it harder for ecosystems to adapt to climate change.

The problem has become so urgent that 175 countries are gearing up to sign a plastics treaty in Geneva, to stem the tide.

The summit, which has been underway since Tuesday this week, wants a legally binding treaty that will limit plastics production, regulate against harmful chemicals, and back the treaty with finance.

Razors Edge Reporter Thomas Koutis speaks to Karolina Strittmatter, Marine Debris Campaign National coordinator at Sea Shepard Australia.

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We also reached out to the office of Environment and water Minister Senator Murray Watt about the plastic treaty negotiations. A statement was provided to us by a government spokesperson.

“These are tough negotiations, and there are countries that don’t share the level of ambition that Australia and so many other countries have.

 

Around 100 countries, including Australia, have gone to these negotiations prepared to land a strong treaty, so we remain hopeful that we can get this done and land a deal that tackles the global plastic pollution crisis.

 

We want a meaningful and effective treaty that not only meets Australia’s expectations but delivers for the Pacific, where an outsized impact of plastic pollution is felt.

 

As a member of the High Ambition Coalition to end plastic pollution, Australia is committed to solving the problem at a global level.

 

But here at home, we are already taking action – working with states and territories to phase out problematic single-use plastics, we’re reforming Australia’s packaging regulations, and we are boosting Australia’s recycling capacity by investing in new recycling infrastructure”.