Plastics wash ashore on the tide. Photo: paktaotik2/123RF
Hopes of securing a landmark agreement on plastic pollution melted this week in South Korea.
Nearly 200 nations had gathered to progress a global plastics treaty - but there were issues on which some countries - particularly top petro-chemical producers - became stuck.
They included whether to cap production, how to manage chemicals of concern and the financing for developing nation to help with implementing any agreement.
The talks are now parked, to resume at a later date. Plastic production, meanwhile, proceeds at speed - it's on track to triple by 2050.
Sian Sutherland is the co-founder of A Plastic Planet and The Plastic Health Council.
She says lobbying from the plastics industry - which is really just Big Oil - helped derail the talks - which will put the health of billions of people at risk.
