WBUR’s Lynn Joliceur reported on a major new report by the Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health.  Formed by the United Nations, the Commission states that plastics are harming human health.  During production, use, and disposal, plastics harm people and the planet.

And, according to WBUR, single-use plastics make up 1/3 of plastics in use today.

Joliceur quotes Boston’s Dr. Philip Landrigan of Boston College, who chaired the commission, who said:

“I’m a pediatrician, and I trained at Boston Children’s [Hospital], and I’ve always thought that we have a responsibility to protect children because they’re the most vulnerable members of our society,” Landrigan said. “We’ve reduced lead exposure. We’ve made some progress in controlling pesticide exposure. But the manufacture of commercial chemicals, the manufacture of plastics — which are really a type of commercial chemical — is just completely out of control. It’s an almost totally unregulated environment.”

Read the WBUR article.

Read the Minderoo-Monaco report.

Read Boston College’s interview with Dr. Philip Landrigan about the report.