Sir David: Waste claims one life every 30 seconds

PLASTIC pollution and waste are killing one person every 30 seconds in the developing world, Sir David Attenborough warns today.

Single-use plastics, shipped across the world by rich countries like Britain or sold by multinationals, may help to cause up to a million deaths a year.

A report being presented by Sir David in London warns that rain which collects in waste is a breeding ground for mosquitos, flies and rats, which spread malaria and dengue fever.

Children playing around plastic waste are also twice as likely to get intestinal bugs like cholera, the second biggest killer of the under-fives. Meanwhile plastic pollution blocks waterways and drains, combining with poor sanitation so people living nearby are twice as likely to get diarrhoea-causing diseases.

The burning of plastic is also thought to cause a fifth of the estimated 3.7 million deaths a year from air pollution.

Sir David said it is ‘one of the most pressing problems of today’ to avert the plastic pollution crisis for the health of our planet and the well-being of people around the world. The report says every 30 seconds, the UK throws away two double-decker busloads of plastic waste. At the same time, 30 busloads are burned or dumped in developing countries.

The report, being unveiled at the Wall Street Journal CEO Council, was produced by the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex with charities including Tearfund and WasteAid.