In South-Korean city of Busan world leaders are wrapping-up crucial negotiations about plastic pollution this weekend. The high-level meeting (which ends on monday) brings together decision-makers from across the globe to tackle the ever-growing plastic crisis
The numbers paint a clear picture of todays challenge: factories make more than 400 million tons of new plastic each year. Over the last three decades plastic production has grown four times bigger; with synthetic materials now found everywhere - from grocery bags to car parts
The water pollution stats are eye-opening: everyday about 2000 garbage trucks worth of plastic end up in oceans lakes and rivers. The UN data shows this non-stop flow of waste threatens marine life worldwide; creating long-lasting damage to ecosystems
Most countries have joined forces to create a binding agreement: the first-of-its-kind global plastic treaty. The document which should be ready by new years eve focuses on reducing both production and ocean pollution (making sure future generations inherit cleaner seas)