Plastic pollution is a “grave, growing and under-recognized danger” to health that is costing the world at least $1.5 trillion a year, experts warned in a report on Monday.
The new review of the existing evidence, which was carried out by leading health researchers and doctors, was published one day ahead of fresh talks opening in Geneva aiming to seal the world’s first treaty on plastic pollution.
“Plastics cause disease and death from infancy to old age and are responsible for health-related economic losses exceeding US$1.5 trillion annually,” said the review in The Lancet medical journal.