Close-up of compressed paper and plastic gathered into bundles and stacked outdoors at waste management facility.
A team of leading environmental experts, spearheaded by the University of Nottingham, have warned that the current war on plastic is detracting from the bigger threats to the environment.
In an article published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal, Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews (WIREs) Water, the 13 experts1 say that while plastic waste is an issue, its prominence in the general public’s concern for the environment is overshadowing greater threats, for example, climate change and biodiversity loss.
The interdisciplinary team argue that much of the discourse around plastic waste is based on data that is not always representative of the environments that have been sampled. The aversion to plastic associated with this could encourage the use of alternative materials with potentially greater harmful effects.
The authors warn that plastic pollution dominates the public’s concern for the environment and has been exploited politically, after capturing the attention of the world, for example through emotive imagery of wildlife caught in plastic waste and alarmist headlines. They say small political gestures such as legislation banning cosmetic microplastics, taxing plastic bags, and financial incentives for using reusable containers, as well as the promotion of products as ‘green’ for containing less plastic than alternatives, risks instilling a complacency in society towards other environmental problems that are not as tangible as plastic pollution.
The article’s authors call on the media and others to ensure that the realities of plastic pollution are not misrepresented, particularly in the public dissemination of the issue, and urges government to minimise the environmental impact of over-consumption, however inconvenient, through product design, truly circular waste-management, and considered rather than reactionary policy.
We are seeing unprecedented engagement with environmental issues, particularly plastic pollution, from the public and we believe this presents a once in a generation opportunity to promote other, potentially greater environmental issues. This is a key moment in which to highlight and address areas such as ‘throw-away’ culture in society and overhaul waste management. However, if there is a continuation in prioritising plastic, this opportunity will be missed – and at great cost to our environment.
The Latest Updates from Bing News & Google News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Throw-away culture
- Tom Daley on ‘Gross’ Anti-Trans Laws, LGBTQ Rights, Retirement, Being a Dad, and Body Anxiety
Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/GettyEarlier this week, inside the Stonewall Bar for the very first time, the site of the landmark, much-storied riots of 1969, Tom Daley felt ...
- MEP Strikes Back, Roasts Georgian Culture Minister
MEP Viola von Cramon has responded to Georgian Vice Prime Minister/Culture Minister Tea Tsulukiani in a starkly-worked Twitter thread, slamming her over “tasteless” and “baseless” attacks. In her ...
- Joanne Molinaro of ‘The Korean Vegan’ on Exploring Her Culture Through Food
The child of North Korean parents, Molinaro felt angry and hopeless about the increasingly hostile rhetoric towards immigrants in the U.S. over the past few years. So in 2018, she began posting ...
- GOP goes all in on culture war issues, forsaking former platform planks
Some Democrats, meanwhile, are explicitly backing away from those battles. "You want culture wars? I'm not your guy," Rep ... "Republicans DO NOT want to throw doctors and women in jail. Mothers ...
- All the famous faces backing Southampton's City of Culture bid
And with the judges' arrival in the city less than 24 hours away, the race to the crown is heating up. What to expect as City of Culture judges head to Southampton Why Southampton should be UK City of ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Throw-away culture
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Single-use items
- Kohima set to implement ban on single-use plastic items
As the ban on identified single-use plastics will come into force with effect from July 1 next, the deputy commissioner of Kohima, Gregory Thejawelie, urged all the concerned NGO, churches, and other ...
- 25 Reusable Items That Will Save You Money (And Help the Environment!)
Trying to ditch single-use products? These reusable items are more sustainable and can save you money in the long term. The post 25 Reusable Items That Will Save You Money (And Help the Environment!) ...
- Goleta to issue ordinance to reduce plastic and single-use waste
The City of Goleta now has an ordinance to regulate single-use foodware accessories and standard condiments. The ordinance was approved at the Goleta City Council meeting on Tuesday. The city says the ...
- Single-use plastic ban: What plastic items are banned, why and exemptions
A ban on some single-use plastic items is coming in place on June 1. Here is everything you need to know about the change.
- Single Use Plastic Ban: What is Single Use Plastic And Why it Was Important to Ban in India Explained | Watch Video
Single use plastic has been banned in the Delhi Secretariat from June 1, a month before the nationwide ban on SUP comes into force. Watch video to know all about single use plastic and why it is ...