SHIFT FROM A CULTURE OF CONVENIENCE TO SAVE HUMAN AND PLANETARY HEALTH

2015 and is expected to double by 2050. In its life cycle, plastic could emit 19% of global greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. Single-use plastics account for about 40% of current plastic production and about 98% of single- use plastic products are produced from fossil fuel, or "virgin" feedstock. Single-use plastic products like water bottles, straws, polystyrene plates – have become convenience in our modern lives. This convenience is killingusandourplanet.

“Single-use plastic products like water bottles, straws, polystyrene plates – have become convenience in our modern lives.

in developing countries with poor solid waste managementsystems.

Most plastics never fully disappear. Sunlight, wind, and wave action break down plastic waste into smaller pieces. These microplastics can enter the human body through inhalation and absorption and accumulate in organs. Microplastics have been found in lungs, livers, spleens, kidneysandintheplacentasofnewbornbabies.

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This convenience is killing us and our planet.

About 36% of all plastics produced are used in packaging and less than 10% of plastics that have been produced has ever been recycled. The rest has been incinerated, landfilled, or littered. Plastic wastes can be found clogging drainages and providing breeding grounds for

Plastic microfibers have been found in drinking water and drifting through the air. Plastics are complex, highly heterogeneous materials consisting of about 13,000 chemicals. Plastics-associated chemicals, such as methyl mercury and bisphenol A (BPA) can be absorbed by the body.

They are harmful to early childhood development, exposure of children to phthalates in plastics causes decreased fertility in male adults. Many toxins in plastics have been linked to cancers, birth defects and immune system problems. The current patterns of plastic production, use, and disposal are not sustainable and are responsible for significant harms to human health, the environment, and the economy as well as for deep societal injustices (see The Minderoo-Monaco CommissiononPlasticsandHumanHealth).

Globally, about 8million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean annually from mismanaged waste at coastlines. More than 90% of all birds and fish are reported to have plastic particles in their stomach and millions are killed every year because of entanglement or starvation caused by plastics. By 2050, if things don’t change, the plastic waste in the ocean will outweigh the fish. Plastic pollution is not just a waste management issue, but it is a health, environmental justice, and human rights issue.

• Curb plastic pollution by limiting consumption, generating less waste, avoiding single use plastics and unnecessary plastic products. Support recycling schemes‘’If you can’t reuse it, refuse it’’. Put pressure on manufacturers to phase out microplasticsinconsumerproducts.

• Businesses to innovate and eliminate unnecessary plastic packaging, and industries to move away from harmful plastic production toward circular economiesonplastics.

• International measures such as a legally binding Global Plastics Treaty that is grounded in robust science.

We appreciate every support over the years and your continued support and commitment that has made it possible for us to continue to provide succor to the less privileged in our society. We pray that God will bless you and grant you success in all your endeavors.

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