Global step in right direction to end plastic pollution

glitter (by definition a primary microplastic) that had been sprinkled into the centre of a lily by a florist to presumably make it prettier

A selection of nurdles (preproduction plastic pellets) and fragments gathered from a small area of a Waikato beach.

stickers on fruit

These are just fruit/food scraps in a bin destined for someone's compost. The labels should have be taken off before putting the skins in

Large amounts of plastics in the domestic green-waste compost that has been applied to flowerbeds in public areas.

A piece of plastic (size would mean it falls into the 'mesoplastic' range) in a newly opened bag of garden compost.

A face mask Olga found while doing surveys for beach microplastics on a Waikato beach in November 2020

The recent commitment by 175 UN nations to end plastic pollution waste is being hailed as an historic moment and a huge global step in the right direction. Earlier this month, Heads of State, Ministers for the environment and other representatives, including New Zealand, endorsed a resolution at the UN  Environment Assembly in Kenya. The aim is to draft a legally-binding treaty by 2024 - to stop the proliferation of plastic. 
But what does this mean in practice, and what is achievable from this large global commitment?. To discuss the scope of the mandate and what negotiations lie ahead to actually stem and prevent plastic pollution, Kathryn talks to Associate Professor Trisia Farrelly from Massey University's school of people environment and planning and who is on the United Nations Environment Programme's Scientific Advisory Committee and Expert Group. Also joining the conversation, Marine biologist and Senior Scientist at ESR and Dr Olga Pantos. Olga is the co-lead of the MBIE-funded national project 'Aotearoa Impacts and Mitigation of Microplastics'.