Plastic Overshoot Day

According to Earth Action today is Plastic Overshoot Day - “the date when the amount of plastic waste outweighs the world’s ability to manage it, with environmental pollution occurring as a result.”

Plastic pollution is everywhere, but because of climate change perhaps doesn’t get the attention it deserves. The two issues are closely linked though, the vast majority of plastic is derived from oil and fossil fuel companies are betting on plastic to keep their profit margins intact should demand for oil as an energy source ever drop. In fact Earth Action say that plastic production is set to double by 2040.

Negotiations on a global plastics treaty are underway at the United Nations so there is hope that plastic pollution could be reduced, but there is a lot of work to be done and some very powerful vested interests that will need to be overcome to do so.