An International Survey Reveals 75% Of People Want Single-use Plastics Banned

In a poll released on Tuesday, two-thirds of respondents said single-use plastics should be banned immediately. A global treaty to curb plastic pollution is slated to begin talks among United Nations members soon.

Over 20,000 people in 28 countries participated in an IPSOS survey, which found that the percentage of people calling for plastic bag bans rose from 71% to 82% since 2019.

It is deemed as the most important environmental pact since Paris Agreement on climate change, and activists are calling on government representatives meeting this month in Nairobi to press ahead with an ambitious plastic waste treaty, also dubbed as the most important treaty since the Paris Agreement on climate change.

WWF International director general Marco Lambertini said people have voiced their views across the globe. Now it is up to the governments to take action to eliminate plastic pollution by pursuing a global plastics treaty.

There was strong support for a treaty among those surveyed, but it remains uncertain whether the treaty would focus on waste collection and recycling or take more radical steps aimed at reducing plastic consumption.

In a report last week, the news agency revealed that big oil and chemical companies are developing strategies to persuade conference participants to reject any agreement that could restrict plastic production, which is created from oil and gas and is one of their key revenue streams.

According to a WWF study released this month, if the United Nations is unable to come up with a deal to stop plastic pollution, some marine species will face extinction and sensitive ecosystems such as coral reefs and mangroves will be destroyed.

Any treaty will likely take at least two years to finalize. Nairobi will determine key elements of any agreement, however, after the 28-to-2 March conference.

Poll results show that Colombia, Mexico and India are the countries that support single-use plastic bans the most, developing countries teetering on the brink of a waste crisis.

In addition, 85% of global respondents believe that manufacturers and retailers should be held accountable for reducing, reusing, and recycling packaging, up from 80% before.

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