World says 'no' to plastic - 11th April 2022

Nearly 200 countries around the world are taking action on plastic pollution. They're going to start planning an international agreement. Countries will agree to decrease plastic use.

The worry about plastic pollution is growing bigger. Each year, 400 million tonnes of plastic is produced. And nearly half of that is just used once before it's thrown away.

Plastic is bad news for animal and plant life. Animals sometimes get stuck in plastic bags, for example, or they eat plastic because they mistake it for food. In this way, plastic also gets into the food chain, which could affect humans.

Now world leaders have until 2024 to agree on how to work together. They need to decide how to stop people breaking the agreement. Decisions on how to pay for it are also necessary.

Professor Steve Fletcher of the University of Portsmouth gives advice to the United Nations Environment Programme. He says that the plastic problem is international. It doesn't stop at a country's borders.

"One country can't deal with plastic pollution alone," he said. "We need to face the problem together, as one."