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Co-author is an Assistant Professor in the School for Resource and Environmental Studies at Dalhousie. Mark Mallory is a Professor in the Department of Biology at Acadia University and Stephanie Avery-Gomm is a PhD candidate in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Queensland.

Canada recently announced a . Items like straws, cotton swabs, drink stirrers and Styrofoam fast-food containers and cups will be banned by 2021.

But even as the list of countries that have made similar pledges grows, including all those in the , some researchers have that undermines action on more severe planetary threats such as climate change and biodiversity loss.

As researchers who study plastic pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss, we feel that we simply do not have the luxury of tackling environmental issues one at a time. We need continued momentum on all fronts to address the growing list of threats to planetary health.

First steps towards a circular economy

Growing concern about plastic pollution has led to ground-breaking, global agreements. Canada, Italy, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the European Union signed on to the in 2017, in Charlevoix, Que., pledging to find ways to curb plastic pollution.

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Now, in addition to banning single-use plastic items, the federal government wants companies that manufacture plastic products to take . The latest announcement by Canada is part of a to address the worldwide plastic pollution problem.

Although phasing out avoidable single-use plastics will not eliminate all plastic pollution, it is an essential first step. Replacing single-use plastics, many of which are not recyclable, with better alternatives will be an important part of building a .

Better management of plastic waste is another important part of the solution. Recent have established a legally binding framework that will improve the capacity of approximately 180 countries to prevent, minimize and properly manage marine plastic litter, for the benefit of the environment and human health. Given that , reducing waste generation at its source and improving waste management is a big step in the right direction.

Not a distraction

Some researchers have criticized attention to the plastic pollution problem, calling the issue a distraction from other global threats. But a decision to tackle plastic pollution does not limit our ability to .

There is no evidence to support a claim that global efforts to address plastic pollution have undermined progress made on other issues. Given current international agreements in place to address these important global environmental threats — the Paris Agreement and Convention on Biological Diversity’s Aichi Targets — it is unlikely that governments will be seen to fulfil their environmental obligations simply by phasing out avoidable plastics.

Strategies to address plastic pollution can help to fight climate change and biodiversity loss, indirectly. will reduce biodiversity loss of the more than that have ingested plastic, become entangled in it or had their habitats smothered by it.

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Plastic is derived from petroleum, and its incineration contributes to . Greenhouse gas emissions from plastics could reach if current plastic production trends continue. In Europe, plastic production and the incineration of plastic waste emits . Reducing production of new plastics will reduce plastic pollution — and curb greenhouse gas emissions.

Finally, improved awareness by the public about how plastics can impact wildlife and ecosystems can and helps highlight the underlying causes of overconsumption of natural resources by a rapidly growing global population. It is clear that has helped motivate government responses to changes in policy to .

Keeping threats in perspective

It is important to keep global planetary threats in perspective. However, it is counterproductive to pit one issue against another.

Rather than debating over how to share allocations of the funding pie, we ought to collectively argue for why emerging issues should be met with additional resources.

The actions by governments, corporations and individuals to mitigate and manage plastic pollution should be applauded, rather than framed as a distraction. Plastic may be convenient, but there is nothing convenient about plastic pollution.

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