US to support global goal to cut plastic production

The Big Story

US to support global goal to cut plastic production

The U.S. will support a global goal to cut plastic production, a State Department spokesperson confirmed.

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The support for a global target represents a change from its earlier support for leaving it up to each country.

The shift was first reported by Reuters but was later confirmed by The Hill.

Nations are slated to meet later this year with the goal of finalizing the first-ever plastics treaty.

Some countries, like China, Russia and Saudi Arabia, have pushed back against efforts to limit plastic production.

Miniscule plastic pieces known as microplastics have become omnipresent in the environment. Experiments on cells and animals have demonstrated that microplastics can impact the digestive, respiratory, endocrine, reproductive and immune systems. A study published earlier this year linked microplastic and tinier nanoplastic exposure to heart attacks, strokes and death.

U.S. plastic manufacturers condemned the new U.S. position.

“With this decision, the White House has turned its back on Americans whose livelihoods depend on our industry, as well as on manufacturers in all sectors that rely on plastic materials,” said Matt Seaholm, president and CEO of the Plastics Industry Association, in a written statement.

Read more in a full report at TheHill.com.

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