A new report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and Azul highlights the impact of plastic pollution on already vulnerable populations around the world, depriving them of their basic human rights, health, and well-being. The report, Neglected: Environmental Justice Impacts of Plastic Pollution, demonstrates how the entire life cycle of plastics -from source extraction to waste- disproportionately affects marginalized communities and poses obstacles to the full and timely achievement of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs.). The report outlines recommendations to governments, consumers, businesses and nonprofit organizations to address the effects of plastic on vulnerable populations. These include the need to move towards an environmental conservation movement that prioritizes the needs of those disproportionately affected by pollution around the world.
“Plastic pollution is a social justice issue,” says Marce Gutiérrez-Graudiņš, co-author and Founder and Executive Director of Azul. “Current efforts, limited to managing and decreasing plastic pollution, are inadequate to address the whole scope of problems plastic creates, especially the disparate impacts on communities affected by the harmful effects of plastic at every point from production to waste.” To view the full article visit PR Newswire.