Recently, US President Donald Trump decided to stop trying to reduce plastic pollution. This choice has raised alarms among many experts who say it could slow down the global efforts to fix this big problem. They believe the world might have to find solutions without help from the United States.
Trump has already taken the US out of the Paris climate agreement, and on Monday, he signed a new order that removed limits on plastic straws. He said, “Paper straws don’t work.” But this isn’t just about straws; it shows a larger issue in the fight against plastic pollution, especially since countries worldwide are working on a treaty to help tackle the problem.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the world produces over 430 million tonnes of plastic every year, and much of it quickly becomes waste, polluting oceans and even entering our food. If we don’t act quickly, plastic waste could triple to 1.2 billion tonnes by 2060.
Chandrabhushan, a leader at a policy think tank, noted that Trump’s decisions were expected. He says the US under Trump has been stepping away from many important environmental talks and that it is the biggest user of plastic and fossil fuels. He believes that the progress made in the last 20 years on climate change and protecting nature could all be lost. He warns that rebuilding trust around the world will take many years after Trump is gone.
Experts are now saying that the world needs to find ways to cooperate, even if the US doesn’t join in. If the global economy moves forward without the US, then the country will struggle to keep up, especially if other countries switch to electric cars and renewable energy.
Harjeet Singh, a climate activist, criticized the US decision as a boost for the fossil fuel industry and a setback in fighting plastic pollution. He pointed out that the US has had a huge impact on pollution and should be taking the lead, not turning its back.
Suneel Pandey, who works on waste management, explained that most plastics come from oil and gas industries, and Trump’s administration will keep supporting them. Despite the US’s stance, India is moving away from plastic straws and is committed to reducing single-use plastics.
Moving forward with a global plastics treaty will be tough, as some countries, including Russia, don’t want a legally-binding agreement, and the US is following this path too. Siddhartha Ghanshyam from the Centre for Science and Environment said that the US has never taken a strong role in these negotiations and often keeps its intentions hidden. He warned that Trump’s decision could encourage other countries to oppose strong plastic rules.
He believes that without US support, funding to fight plastic pollution might decrease, and what could have been achieved in five years may now take ten. Yet, he insists that progress will still happen, just more slowly. He added that the outcome of the plastics treaty doesn’t depend on any single country.
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