Environmental group Greenpeace has warned ahead of an international plastics deal. According to them, recycling can make plastics more toxic. This process should not be considered as a solution to the pollution crisis. A news revealed by ‘The Guardian’.
According to a report by the global network, plastic is inherently incompatible with the circular economy. Recycled plastic is more toxic than its virgin material. Separate studies have shown that recycling is linked to spreading micro-plastic pollution in the environment.
Last year, representatives of 173 countries agreed to a legally binding agreement on plastic use. It is planned to bring the ‘full life cycle’ of plastic from production to destruction under one rule.
Discussions on this issue will begin in Paris next week. However, the arrangement has already come under fire for excluding those affected and marginalized by the dumping and burning of plastic waste in developing countries. Greenpeace fears these discussions will be dominated by corporate interests. Because companies including energy, petrochemical and consumer goods companies are emphasizing recycling as a solution to the plastic pollution crisis.
Graham Forbes, who leads the plastics campaign at Greenpeace USA, said the toxicity of plastics increases with recycling. It has no place in a circular economy. The only real solution to stop plastic pollution is to drastically reduce production.
Since 1950, about 8 billion tons of plastic have been produced in the world. According to a report by Greenpeace, recycled plastic contains high levels of harmful chemicals. Which is flammable, polluting the environment and capable of lowering the body’s hormone levels.
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