Oman has emerged as a leader in the alarming statistics of mismanaged plastic waste, revealing a concerning projection of 111 kilograms per person by 2024. This staggering figure puts Oman 30 times higher than Norway, highlighting the severity of the issue in the region.
This insight comes from a comprehensive report by EA Earth Action, a Swiss non-profit organization dedicated to environmental issues. The report underscores a troubling reality: a mere twelve countries are responsible for an astonishing 60 per cent of the world's mismanaged plastic waste, illustrating how concentrated this problem is globally.
Since 2021, the world has experienced a significant surge in plastic waste generation, with an unsettling increase of 7.11 per cent. This rise compounds the already challenging reality of managing plastic waste effectively globally, with an estimated 220 million tonnes generated this year alone. Alarmingly, it is predicted that around 70 million tonnes of this waste will contaminate the environment, further exacerbating ecological harm.
Identifying the countries at the forefront of this crisis, the report highlights twelve nations notorious for mismanagement, including China, Russia, Brazil, Mexico, India, Vietnam, Iran, Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt, the United States, and Turkey. India appears to fare better within this context, with an expected mismanagement of 7.4 million tonnes of plastic waste in 2024. This figure is notably lower compared to the overwhelming outputs from China and the United States, with India's projections being less than one-fifth and one-third of these countries' figures, respectively.
In a significant effort to raise awareness about the implications of plastic overconsumption, the report also mentions the concept of "Plastic Overshoot Day." This day marks the point in the year when humanity has consumed more plastic than the Earth can sustainably process within that time frame. For India, this critical date falls on April 23, underscoring the urgency of addressing plastic waste.
Sarah Perreard, Co-CEO of EA Earth Action and the Plastic Footprint Network emphasizes the gravity of the situation: "The data is unequivocal: improvements in waste management capacity are outpaced by rising plastic production, making progress almost invisible." Her statement encapsulates the struggle many nations face as they confront the intricacies of waste management against a backdrop of rising plastic production.
In response to this pressing environmental challenge, a landmark resolution was passed during the UN Environment Assembly in March 2022. This resolution aims to initiate the development of an international legally binding instrument focused on tackling plastic pollution globally.
The fourth session of this critical initiative is planned to take place from April 23 to 29, 2024, in Ottawa, Canada, followed by the fifth session scheduled for November 25 to December 1, 2024, in Busan, South Korea. These meetings are set to bring together global leaders, policymakers, and environmental advocates in a unified effort to devise effective strategies for addressing the growing plastic crisis.
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