Are we on the verge of a global initiative to clean up ocean plastics?

A global summit on clearing up the oceans has produced big promises – is it just blah, blah, blah, or can we make the future of plastic fantastic, asks Graham Lawton

By Graham Lawton

IN JUNE 2021, the government of the Seychelles decided it was time to stamp out what it had come to see as a dangerous recreational substance: balloon latex. Too many people were taking balloons to the beach and the popped remains were finding their way into the ocean to be swallowed by turtles. The government had already banned most other single-use plastic items, including straws, bags, eating utensils and cups. The balloon ban was the final warning that, in the Seychelles at least, the party is over.

The country’s war on plastic was inspired in part by its stewardship …