Big brands call for pact to cut plastic production

Taking action: Workers process plastic to produce raw material at a treatment plant in Venezuela. International brands like Coca Cola and PepsiCo have called for worldwide cooperation to combat plastic pollution. — AFP

NEW YORK: International brands, including Coca Cola and PepsiCo, have called for a global pact to combat plastic pollution that includes cuts in plastic production, a key growth area for the oil industry.

World officials will meet at a United Nations Environment Assembly conference (UNEA 5.2) later this year to start negotiations on a treaty to tackle a plastic waste crisis that is choking landfills, despoiling oceans and killing wildlife.