We need to talk about plastic: five everyday items choking the planet

It is one of the world’s most dangerous materials, and global leaders are meeting in South Korea to thrash out a treaty to curb its effects

This week, world leaders are gathering in Busan, South Korea, to hammer out a global plastics treaty to try to curb pollution from one of the most dangerous materials on the planet. While such a high-level event might seem far removed from our everyday lives, it is the products we use every day that are at the heart of the negotiations. Some plastics are worse than others and have a unique impact in various parts of the world. Here, we look at five of the worst offenders.

Topics

Forget Screen Time. We Need to Talk About Screen Real Estate

Spending many hours daily looking at screens feels like a foregone conclusion. The new challenge is paring down what fills them.
Tech - Wired - November 8
What to know about the plastic pollution treaty talks in South Korea

A last round of negotiations on a legally binding treaty to address the global scourge of plastic pollution has opened in Busan, South Korea
World - ABC News - 3 days ago
Beshear: Democrats need to focus on Americans' 'everyday worries'

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) says he believes that after this month's brutal election loss, Democrats need to focus on the “everyday worries” of Americans. “It’s about a relentless focus on ...
Politics - The Hill - November 18
Democrats lost because we don’t know how to speak everyday American

For most Americans, reality does not conform to language. In fact, it’s the other way around.
Politics - The Hill - November 11
Europe wants ministers at plastic pollution treaty talks

World - Yahoo News - November 7
Five firms in plastic pollution alliance ‘made 1,000 times more plastic than they cleaned up’

Exclusive: Five oil and chemical companies which promised to divert plastic from environment produced 132m tonnes of it, analysis finds. Bali recycling scheme swamped with garbage Oil and ...
World - The Guardian - November 20
The ultimate men’s capsule wardrobe: the only 22 items you’ll ever need

Want to up your style game but cut your consumption? It’s easy with these go-to pieces. • Read Simon Chilvers on streamlining your style . A capsule wardrobe can seem like a fashion unicorn: a ...
World - The Guardian - November 16
‘Jeni died after taking ketamine – we need to be more frank about drugs’

In October 2020, Sandra Larmour's 18-year-old daughter died after taking ketamine, hours after arriving at university to begin her degree.
Top stories - BBC News - November 6