Australia Joins Global Push to End Plastic Pollution

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Australia is stepping up its fight against plastic pollution, joining nearly 100 other nations in a major push to create a global treaty to end plastic waste.

Environment Minister Murray Watt confirmed that Australia signed on to the “Nice wake-up call” — a declaration made at the United Nations Ocean Conference in France — which aims to tackle plastic pollution from every angle, including production, packaging, and waste management.

While Australia already has strict rules on what waste it can export, the federal government is now turning its attention inward — looking at how much imported plastic is coming into the country, especially in the form of packaging used by big brands.

“This is a global crisis, and we need a global solution,” Senator Watt said. “Plastics are choking our oceans, killing marine life, and even ending up in the bellies of seabirds on Lord Howe Island. It’s time for coordinated, urgent action.”

The Nice declaration, signed by 96 countries, is part of an effort to reboot stalled negotiations on a worldwide plastics treaty — a deal that was supposed to be finalized last year but hit delays.

There’s growing hope now. Many countries at the UN summit expressed renewed commitment to hammering out a deal. The next — and final — round of talks is set for August in Switzerland, and Australia will be there.

The goal is clear: a binding global agreement that tackles plastic pollution at every stage, from production to disposal — before it's too late.

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