Almost Every Country Signs Agreement to Cut Down on Plastic Sent to Developing Counties

Just about every country in the world has signed an agreement to cut down on the flow of plastic waste into developing countries.

The United States did not sign the agreement.

Under the agreement, exporting countries will need to obtain consent from countries receiving contaminated, mixed or unrecyclable plastic waste.

Up to this point countries can send lower-quality plastic waste to private entities in developing countries without getting approval from their governments.

In 2016, a global population of more than 7 billion people produced over 320 million tons of plastic. This is set to double by 2034.