Are we really serious about saving planet Earth and ourselves?

IT's too early to say whether the recently concluded first session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-1) was a success in terms of laying the foundation for a meaningful international legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution. After all, the timeline to come up with a treaty is two years. But we do not have to wait two years to reduce our own plastic footprint. In fact, by actively rejecting single-use plastic — the main culprit in plastic pollution — we not only prevent pollution we also send a message to treaty negotiators. Plastic pollution doesn't start with improper garbage disposal. It starts with the plastic itself.

The Global South embraces incineration as the solution to the increasing volumes of waste, particularly plastics, that comes from growing affluence and the popularity of consumer goods, including food and beverages, packed, wrapped and served in single-use plastic. Majority of consumers seem indifferent to or ignorant about the problem posed by plastic. In fact, a lot of people even find a beverage served in a single-use cup Instagrammable.