In an press release published on February 19, 2019, the non-governmental organization (NGO) the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) announced the publication of a new report titled “Plastic & Health: The Hidden Costs of a Plastic Planet.” The report is authored by a group of eight different organizations and institutions and “brings together research that exposes the distinct toxic risks plastic poses to human health at every stage of the plastic lifecycle.” CIEL writes that whereas earlier research efforts “have focused narrowly on specific moments in the plastic lifecycle,” the approach used in this report “presents the full panorama of human health impacts of plastic and counsels that any solution to the plastic crisis must address the full lifecycle.”
The report is divided into separate chapters that analyze individual stages within the life cycle of plastic from “extraction and transport” to “consumer use” to “plastics in the environment.” A full lifecycle approach is recommended in order to make informed decisions that address plastic risks. To reduce toxic exposure to plastic, the report stresses the need for “a variety of solutions and options” considering that “plastic has a complex lifecycle with a diverse universe of actors.”
Read more
CIEL (February 19, 2019). “Plastic Threatens Human Health at a Global Scale – New Report.”
CIEL (February 19, 2019). “Plastic & Health: The Hidden Costs of a Plastic Planet.” (pdf)
Brian Bienkowski (February 19, 2019). “Plastic threatens our health from before production to long after it’s thrown away: Report.” Environmental Health News
Leigh Stringer (February 20, 2019). “Plastics exposure a global health crisis, says NGO report.” Chemical Watch
