G20 agrees on international framework to reduce marine plastic pollution

There is no hope of change.

We're doomed then.

There is no hope of change. We have been creating pollution without thought or care since the dawn of man. This political pageantry for who? I'm not certain any longer. I grew up in San Francisco where we were encouraged to save water with our toilet flushes. Yep, 'if it's yellow- it mellow. if it's brown- flush it down'.

Nothing has changed. We argue the stupid. Today, it's the straws...

Stop buying things... that's a real start. Stop consuming so much.

Japan could start by not wrapping every little piece of candy three times.

It’s amazing how many posts are fixed on placing blame. It’s too late for pointing fingers at the cause. The question should be, who is gonna do something about it?

Reducing and reusing are best. You also have to do cradle to grave type analysis on everything, not just superficial analysis based on how something sounds.. It seems like some things that are biodegradable do not biodegrade very quickly. They can be dug out of landfill sites intact a year or two later.

Some countries have reusable PET bottles. I think they are more eco than glass.

We all Know China , India and south east Asia region, the rest of the developing world is even worse. are the worst offenders

Any data to back your assertion.

The rest of the developed world due to low income, low purchasing power is not based on consumerism like developed countries besides developing countries have far fewer supermarkets and fewer plastic producing industries.

The biggest culprits are industrialised nations.

Global warming.  Plastics.  Ozone layer.  Mass extinctions.

Can anyone bel;ieve that we are not destroying the planet?  Also that likely we will see some effect on economic wellbeing in trying to address these.

JTsnose

That is not a solution. Look, Japan already does that, and now everyone thinks it makes it okay to use more plastic!

Filters aren't necessary at all, and if people believe they are, it may discourage people from using tap water, which would be a terrible shame.

So that chlorine smell coming from the tap water doesn’t bother you. Makes me gag. How about what that chlorine does to your system? I’ve been using a water filter and sports bottle for 14 years here and back in the States with 5 gallon water jugs with Reverse Osmosis water for 10 years before that. I still use the 5 gallon jugs when I visit.

I take a small pet bottle with extra water one day a week so I won’t have to buy one when the sports bottle runs dry, and it’s a 1.5 liter bottle.

Lots of plastic problems but not a lot of common sense. The whole banning plastic straws created even more plastic when Starbucks introduce their plastic straw less cups. Why not go back to paper straws? So friggen easy.

I've drank tap water (which I carry with me in a stainless steel bottle) all my life. I've never used a filter as tap water (in the UK and Japan) is perfectly safe and clean.

Filters aren't necessary at all, and if people believe they are, it may discourage people from using tap water, which would be a terrible shame.

Tap water is regulated to higher standards than bottled water, and contains vastly fewer micro-plastic particles. It's also much, much cheaper.

I guess Tokyo water tastes much better than Osaka. We need a filter here because the tapwater tastes awful.

I finally have a metal tumbler, something I shouldve gotta much sooner so, less petbottle waste from me from now on.

Buy a glass water container and or drinking bottle and a water filter

Buy glass containers for your food

I have considered glass, but in a country prone to earthquakes glass would not be recommendable, adding to injury. This is a difficult decision to make.

Many companies, and people at home, routinely sort their wastes between recyclable and non-recyclable. This can be broken down further into:  plastics, glass, clean paper, metal, and non-recyclable.

ndwariga - We all Know China , India and south east Asia region, the rest of the developing world is even worse. are the worst offenders, the United States was it's plastic recycling system running like clock work.

What an absolutely abhorrent, petty and naive statement! How much Asian made plastic is sitting right in front of you now? Everybody on the plantet is responsible for the plastics waste in the ocean, either direct action or direct inaction. It is stands like the above that have caused the problem. You are all too enthusiastic about blaming someone else instead of considering the cause. And, by the way, a lot of the single use plastics you refer to were manufactured and shipped from the USA to these countries you mentioned, which makes the USA responsible too.

I'm all for this. I have come to loathe plastic. It's pitiful when you have to pull plastic off your body while swimming in the ocean! All the poor sea crits that have to try to survive with this mess, a shame. The world is engulfed in plastic mess.

Buy a glass water container and or drinking bottle and a water filter

Buy glass containers for your food

Bring your own bag and do not accept plastic bags from stores

Cook your own food, avoid prepackaged crap that a low wage workers handled

Congrats! You are now that much closer to being a responsible member of planet Earth!

Why is Japan waiting until next year?

We all Know China , India and south east Asia region, the rest of the developing world is even worse. are the worst offenders, the United States was it's plastic recycling system running like clock work.