U.N. Recognizes the Right to a Healthy Environment for All
In a historic decision, the United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution to universally recognize the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment for all people.
Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the U.N. Environment Programme, says the new human right addresses the “triple planetary crisis” of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste. As we know, plastic (more than 99% of which is made from fossil fuels) plays a significant role in all three of these interconnected crises.
GAIA and BFFP Members Respond to the Ocean Conservancy’s Retraction of Their Harmful 2015 Report
The US-based organization Ocean Conservancy (OC) recently issued a long-overdue apology to more than seven hundred organizations for the harm caused by the publication of their 2015 report, “Stemming the Tide: Land-based strategies for a plastic-free ocean”, and expressed its willingness to take responsibility for the damage caused by the publication. The OC report was instrumental in putting the onus for plastic pollution on five Asian countries (Philippines, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand), completely disregarding
the role of countries in the Global North for their overproduction of plastic and plastic waste exports to Global South countries under the guise of “trade”. Following the leadership of GAIA and the impacted groups in the region, we will continue to keep the global #breakfreefromplastic movement updated about the reparative and transformative justice process that several impacted groups are engaging in with OC to identify ways to mitigate the harm caused.
New Oceana Study Shows a 46% Increase in Plastic Used in Food Delivery
Oceana Brazil’s new study, ‘The food delivery market and plastic pollution,' reveals that consumption of single-use plastic items in that industry increased by 46% from 2019 to 2021. It shows that consumption of packaging and other single-use items has skyrocketed during the Covid-19 pandemic and that most of this plastic is not recycled.
International Youth Day is coming up! To celebrate, the Africa team is holding a Zero Waste and Climate Action Workshop on August 12 at 12:00pm GMT. Mark your calendars!
We’ll tackle youth mobalisation, climate change action, waste picker integration, and the threat of false solutions. Are you a youth group with an exciting project idea? We’d love to hear about it! Fill out this form for a chance to present it during the workshop.
ClientEarth Launch Fresh Legal Action Against Approval of Ineos’ Plastics Plant Project
#breakfreefromplastic member,
ClientEarth, is continuing the fight against the development of INEOS’ petrochemical and plastics project, Project One, in Belgium. Earlier this year, Flemish authorities gave the green light for the project to move forward. ClientEarth appealed this decision, but the appeal was dismissed.
So what’s next? ClientEarth is not resting. Instead, they are launching a new appeal against legal authorities in Belgium to block INEOS’ plastics project.
