Study: Plastic Pollution Inflicts USD1.5T in Health Damage Yearly
(MENAFN) Plastic pollution is inflicting over $1.5 trillion in health-related economic harm each year and poses life-threatening risks at every phase of the human lifespan, according to a comprehensive new analysis published Sunday in The Lancet medical journal.
“The world is in a plastics crisis,” the authors stated. “But it is not inevitable.” They advocate for science-driven, cost-efficient policy measures—such as strict regulations, robust enforcement, and financial incentives—similar to strategies successfully deployed against air pollution and lead poisoning.
The report’s release coincides with the resumption of UN-sponsored talks in Geneva aimed at crafting a binding global treaty to address plastic waste.
Labeling plastics as a “grave and growing” danger to both human health and the environment, the review underscores a surge in plastic production that shows no signs of slowing.
According to the report, global plastic manufacturing has surged from 2 million metric tons in 1950 to 475 million metric tons in 2022. If current trends persist, output is expected to soar to 1.2 billion metric tons by 2060. Simultaneously, around 8 billion tons of plastic waste have built up in the environment—much of it remaining due to its resistance to natural breakdown processes. Alarmingly, under 10% of plastic ever produced is recycled.
The timing of the review is notable, aligning with the second segment of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2), set to take place from August 5 to 14 in Geneva. Delegates from more than 170 nations will convene in a renewed push for a legally enforceable global accord to combat plastic pollution.
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