Existing treaty could help manage plastic waste

Abstract

More than 100 million metric tons of plastic waste could accumulate throughout the world in the next dozen years because of China’s restrictions on imports of postconsumer plastic waste, researchers estimate. And one way to help ensure that buildup of plastic waste is handled soundly is for countries to control international trade in this material under an existing treaty that governs trade in hazardous waste, they suggest (Sci. Adv. 2018, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aat0131). A team from the University of Georgia, led by Jenna R. Jambeck, used United Nations trade data to calculate that 111 million metric tons of plastic waste could accumulate throughout the world by 2030 in the wake of China’s policy, which took effect Jan. 1. China and Hong Kong, which has served as an entry port for many plastic shipments to China, collectively have imported 72% of the world’s plastic waste since 1992, the researchers found. China’s move