19. Not fantastic when it’s plastic: Stemming the tide of ocean rubbish

In this episode of The Weekly Tradecast, as the COP27 global climate summit gets underway, we look at plastic pollution and how the world is drowning in it with David Vivas, an UNCTAD legal officer working on trade and environmental issues.

At least 10 million tonnes of plastic end up in our ocean every year. The bags, bottles and food wrappers that we use for just a short time can take many decades to break down.

In the meantime, millions of animals are killed by plastic pollution each year as they get entangled or strangled. And microplastics have been found in many marine creatures – including ones that we eat. 

Listen to the episode to find out.