They propose four measures to reduce 91% of polluting plastics

Tokyo. Four global policies would eliminate almost all plastic pollution on the planet, revealed a study by the University of California prepared with the help of artificial intelligence.

The investigation Pathways to reduce plastic waste mismanagement and global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 was published in the magazine Science.

It cites investment in waste management infrastructure, limiting plastic production to 2020 levels, financial measures such as a modest tax on packaging and requiring all new products to contain at least 40 percent recycled plastic. .

These four policies They are not at all the panacea to solve the enormous problemdeclared Neil Nathan, from the University of California, but if they are applied simultaneously, they would reduce the amount of these residues poorly managed each year by 91 percent, up to 11 million tons in 2050, compared to the 121 million that would be produced on the same date if nothing was done.

The dissemination of the study coincides with the latest round of negotiations to reach a global treaty against plastic pollution. The talks are taking place between 178 countries in Busan, South Korea.

Poorly managed waste is all that is not incinerated, landfilled or recycled, and it is this violation that is much more likely to end up in our environment, as well as impact our rivers and oceans.Nathan explained. If no action is taken, the accumulated amount of waste poorly managed between 2011 and 2050 it would be 3.5 billion tons, Enough to cover Manhattan Island with a pile of plastic 10 times taller than the Empire State Buildingthe researcher warned.

After two years of negotiations, the countries meeting in Busan remain divided over the actions that should be taken to end this pollution.

Some want a treaty that drastically limits production. Others, such as Saudi Arabia and Russia, demand targets that focus on recycling and managing this waste.

The research published in the journal Science used an interactive tool to simulate the effects of measures that could be included in the future Busan treaty.

The four policies that are included in the work are those that seem to have the greatest impact or be the most profitableNathan added.

The tool uses machine learning to combine information on population growth and economic trends to predict the future of plastic production, pollution and trade.

For Douglas McCauley, another professor at the University of California, “one of the most exciting findings is that it is possible to practically end pollution from this material thanks to this treaty.

I am cautiously optimistic, but we cannot miss this unique opportunitystressed the American academic.