Environment
13:11, 11-May-2019
Mexico City bans disposable plastics
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Mexico City's legislature voted Thursday to ban businesses from buying, selling or giving their customers disposable plastics, a major shift for a sprawling capital that is awash in them.
Plastic bottles /VCG Photo
Plastic bottles /VCG Photo
The ban, set to come into force in December 2020 or January 2021, includes such articles as non-biodegradable plastic bags, straws, cutlery, cups, and coffee capsules, the legislature said in a statement, calling them a "serious environmental problem."
An estimated 100 million tonnes of plastic are found in the oceans now. /VCG Photo
An estimated 100 million tonnes of plastic are found in the oceans now. /VCG Photo
It puts the city of nine million people at the forefront of global efforts to protect the environment and curb the amount of plastic that ends up in the Earth's oceans – eight million tonnes a year.
Many marine species are affected by plastic pollution. /VCG Photo
Many marine species are affected by plastic pollution. /VCG Photo
Legislators said they would now open debate on a spending package to help companies shift their production and use of plastics toward biodegradable materials.
The groups most affected by plastic include sea birds, fish, and mammals. /VCG Photo
The groups most affected by plastic include sea birds, fish, and mammals. /VCG Photo
On Friday, around 180 governments agreed on a new UN accord to regulate the export of plastic waste. An estimated 100 million tonnes of plastic are found in the oceans, reaching "epidemic proportions."
(Top image via VCG)
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Source(s): AFP