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It’s time to put plastics on the health security agenda: a call to action for Indonesia and Australia
Summary
Plastic waste is on track to nearly triple by 2060, and tiny plastic particles called microplastics are already getting into our bodies, even crossing into unborn babies through the placenta. This commentary argues that plastic pollution should be treated as a health emergency, since lifelong exposure starting before birth is linked to serious problems like heart disease, breathing issues, fertility struggles, and cancer. The authors call on governments, using Indonesia and Australia as examples, to start treating plastic pollution as a public health priority, not just an environmental one.
The global escalation of plastic waste has reached a critical level, with plastic use projected to nearly triple from 460 million tonnes (Mt) in 2019 to 1231 Mt by 2060, and environmental leakage expected to double to 44 Mt annually.1 This trajectory poses serious ecological and public health risks, particularly as emerging evidence shows that microplastics can cross the placental barrier, exposing fetuses to contamination even before birth.2 From the moment infants are born they inhale air already contaminated with hazardous plastic-derived pollutants which accumulate over time across the life course, exacerbating the risks of several health concerns including respiratory disease and infection, cardiovascular disease, infertility and cancer. We’re setting our children up to suffer and they deserve better.