Microplastic entering food sources warns UNDP – FBC News

(Source: SGSD/ Facebook)

Local researchers have discovered that there is a high accumulation of microplastics in the seafood consumed by people in Fiji and the region.

United Nations Development Program Resident Representative Munkhtuya Altangerel says global statistics indicate there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish by 2050.

Altangerel adds that apparently only around six percent of the world’s plastics are recycled, and the remaining 94 percent is present in our ecosystems.

The UNDP Resident Representative claims that people are unknowingly consuming microplastics with almost every meal.

“A local researcher in Fiji found that in staple foods like mussels, freshwater mussels, there’s a lot of microplastic already accumulated, and that’s terrifying. You know, this is the food that we eat, as well as our children , you know, who are our future.”

Altangerel says plastics have become an addiction for many because of their convenience.

He adds that a change of mentality is needed at the family level because it is an addiction and a convenience for many.

Non-governmental organizations are calling for appropriate policies at the macroeconomic level that reflect policy changes and implementation, as the world’s largest plastic producers currently received nearly $30 billion in subsidies last year to maintain production throughout the world