Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have been ranked as the world's leading plastic polluters for the fourth consecutive year.

The rankings, released by 'Break Free From Plastic,' a global movement to demand massive reductions in single-use plastics and to push for lasting solutions to the plastic pollution crisis.

Unilever, Nestle, Procter and Gamble, Mondeléz International, Philip Morris International, Danone, Mars, and Colgate-Palmolive are some other brands that are among the top polluters of 2021.&nbsp;

Global plastic production rose from 20 million metric tons in 1966 to 381 &nbsp;million metric tons (MMT) in 2015, a 20-fold increase over half a century, the report said.

"Companies have focused on recycling and pilot projects, but that's not good enough. We need to reduce our dependence on single-use packaging and we want to see companies act to reduce it," said Joanne Green, senior policy advisor at Tearfund.

"We are asking them to collect the items they sell. Coca-Cola is already doing it globally, but we want to see them do it on a country-by-country basis," she added.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/to-check-plastic-pollution-bars-cafes-ordered-to-serve-tap-water-for-free-in-france-441984">Also read |&nbsp;To check plastic pollution, bars, cafés ordered to serve tap water for free in France</a>

According to the World Bank, about 93 per cent of waste in low-income countries is burned or discarded in roads, open land or waterways, where it blocks drains, causes flooding and exacerbates the spread of waterborne diseases.

Initially, attention to ocean waste focused solely on ship and marine-based sources, but it is now known that almost any plastic on land has the potential to reach the oceans via rivers and streams, the report added.

Research has shown nearly a thousand species of marine life are susceptible to plastic entanglement or to ingesting microplastics, which then make their way through the food web back to humans.

The report said an estimated 8 MMT of plastic waste enters the world annually, "the equivalent of dumping a garbage truck of plastic waste into the ocean every minute."

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<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/plastic-pollution-flowing-into-oceans-to-triple-by-2040-study-315624">Also read |&nbsp;Plastic pollution flowing into oceans to triple by 2040: Study</a>

At the current rate, the amount of plastics discharged into the ocean could &nbsp;reach up to 53 MMT per year by 2030, roughly half of the total weight of fish caught from the ocean annually, it said.

Part of the reason is that while the generation of plastic waste in municipal solid waste has exploded, particularly since 1980, the scale of recycling has not kept up, resulting in more and more plastic finding its way into landfills.&nbsp;

The report offered a number of steps to address the crisis,&nbsp;first among them, reducing virgin plastic production, for example by establishing a national cap.

Other recommendations include specific actions by developed-country governments, which should ensure the export of their domestic waste is minimised and directed to countries where appropriate waste facilities are in place.

Improving waste capture technology would stop plastics in waterways, while stemming plastic disposal directly into the ocean itself also remains a priority.&nbsp;

"This is the most comprehensive and damning report on plastic pollution ever published," said Judith Enk, president of the Beyond Plastics nonprofit.

"It is a code red for plastics in the ocean and documents how litter cleanups are not going to save the ocean," she continued, adding it was urgent that policy makers and business leaders read the report and take action.

"The finger-pointing stops now. We can no longer ignore the United States' role in the plastic pollution crisis, one of the biggest environmental threats facing our oceans and our planet today," &nbsp;added Christy Leavitt, Oceana's plastics campaign director.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have been ranked as the world's leading plastic polluters for the fourth consecutive year. The rankings, released by 'Break Free From Plastic,' a global movement to demand massive reductions in single-use plastics and to push for lasting solutions to the plastic pollution crisis.

Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have been ranked as the world's leading plastic polluters for the fourth consecutive year. The rankings, released by 'Break Free From Plastic,' a global movement to demand massive reductions in single-use plastics and to push for lasting solutions to the plastic pollution crisis. Unilever, Nestle, Procter and Gamble, Mondeléz International, Philip Morris International, Danone, Mars, and Colgate-Palmolive are some other brands that are among the top polluters of 2021. Global plastic production rose from 20 million metric tons in 1966 to 381 million metric tons (MMT) in 2015, a 20-fold increase over half a century, the report said. "Companies have focused on recycling and pilot projects, but that's not good enough. We need to reduce our dependence on single-use packaging and we want to see companies act to reduce it," said Joanne Green, senior policy advisor at Tearfund. "We are asking them to collect the items they sell. Coca-Cola is already doing it globally, but we want to see them do it on a country-by-country basis," she added. Also read | To check plastic pollution, bars, cafés ordered to serve tap water for free in France According to the World Bank, about 93 per cent of waste in low-income countries is burned or discarded in roads, open land or waterways, where it blocks drains, causes flooding and exacerbates the spread of waterborne diseases. Initially, attention to ocean waste focused solely on ship and marine-based sources, but it is now known that almost any plastic on land has the potential to reach the oceans via rivers and streams, the report added. Research has shown nearly a thousand species of marine life are susceptible to plastic entanglement or to ingesting microplastics, which then make their way through the food web back to humans. The report said an estimated 8 MMT of plastic waste enters the world annually, "the equivalent of dumping a garbage truck of plastic waste into the ocean every minute." × Also read | Plastic pollution flowing into oceans to triple by 2040: Study At the current rate, the amount of plastics discharged into the ocean could reach up to 53 MMT per year by 2030, roughly half of the total weight of fish caught from the ocean annually, it said. Part of the reason is that while the generation of plastic waste in municipal solid waste has exploded, particularly since 1980, the scale of recycling has not kept up, resulting in more and more plastic finding its way into landfills. The report offered a number of steps to address the crisis, first among them, reducing virgin plastic production, for example by establishing a national cap. Other recommendations include specific actions by developed-country governments, which should ensure the export of their domestic waste is minimised and directed to countries where appropriate waste facilities are in place. Improving waste capture technology would stop plastics in waterways, while stemming plastic disposal directly into the ocean itself also remains a priority. "This is the most comprehensive and damning report on plastic pollution ever published," said Judith Enk, president of the Beyond Plastics nonprofit. "It is a code red for plastics in the ocean and documents how litter cleanups are not going to save the ocean," she continued, adding it was urgent that policy makers and business leaders read the report and take action. "The finger-pointing stops now. We can no longer ignore the United States' role in the plastic pollution crisis, one of the biggest environmental threats facing our oceans and our planet today," added Christy Leavitt, Oceana's plastics campaign director. (With inputs from agencies)

Coca-Cola and PepsiCo ranked as world's leading plastic polluters

India's drugs regulator has ordered <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/johnson-johnson-shares-plunge-after-report-on-asbestos-in-baby-powder-184131">Johnson &amp; Johnson</a>&nbsp;(J&amp;J) to stop manufacturing its Baby Powder using raw materials in two of its Indian factories until test results prove they are free of asbestos, a senior official said on Thursday.

The official at the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), who declined to be named citing the sensitivity of the matter, said a written order had been sent to the US company telling it to stop using the "huge quantities" of raw materials stocked in its plants in northern and western India.

The company said on Wednesday that Indian drug authorities visited some of its facilities and took "tests and samples" of its talcum powder. It also said that the safety of its cosmetic talc was based on a long history of safe use and decades of research and clinical evidence by independent researchers and scientific review boards across the world.

The visits came as the CDSCO and state-based food and drug administrations launched an investigation into J&amp;J's Baby Powder following a Reuters report last Friday that the firm knew for decades that cancer-causing asbestos could be found in the product. J&amp;J has described the Reuters article as "one-sided, false and inflammatory".

The company told Reuters that it is in full compliance with the current Indian regulatory requirements for the manufacturing and testing of its talc.

"All talc in India is sourced and exclusively sold in India and surrounding markets including Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and fully meets the regulatory standards of the Government of India," the company said in an emailed statement.&nbsp;

J&amp;J also said its talc is routinely tested by both suppliers and independent labs to ensure that it is free of asbestos.

Asked if the order meant the company would have to stop producing its ubiquitous baby powder in India for now, the official at the drugs regulator said that was "the inference you have to take" at least as far as the stores of raw materials were concerned.

"We have told them until this investigation concludes, you should not use the raw material. Test results will take time," the official said. "Testing for asbestos is not a routine procedure. It might be in traces. It will require us to develop a method and all those things."

Familiar Band&nbsp;

J&amp;J's Baby Powder is one of the most recognised foreign brands in India along with Colgate toothpaste and Surf detergent.&nbsp;

The company started selling its Baby Powder in India in 1948, just a year after the country won independence from the British. Presenting gift boxes containing the product and others aimed at newborns is almost a family ritual in this country of 1.3 billion people, 28 per cent of whom are aged between 0-14.

The company also commands a strong retail distribution network through small pharmacies, larger stores and the internet.

There is yet to be any significant signs of a backlash against J&amp;J products in India because of the scare. At eight pharmacies across India visited by Reuters reporters on Thursday, seven said J&amp;J remained the No. 1 seller of powder for babies.

That doesn`t mean it isn't under pressure from local and international competitors who sell talc-type powders, such as Bengaluru-based Himalaya Herbals, and Italy`s Artsana, which produces Chicco baby brands.&nbsp;

And some individual consumers say they are now very wary of J&amp;J`s Baby Powder.

"It is really very, very shocking," said Sitaram Beria, a chartered accountant in the eastern city of Bhubaneswar. He said he stopped applying J&amp;J powder on his six-month-old baby after hearing about the Reuters report over the weekend.

J&amp;J leads sales in the Indian baby and child toiletries market, which market research provider Euromonitor estimates would be worth 12.5 billion rupees ($178 million) this year, and forecasts will grow 84 per cent to 23 billion rupees in 2022.

Euromonitor did not give a breakdown for baby powder alone but said J&amp;J was the biggest player in the overall segment, followed by Mumbai-based VVF Ltd, Artsana, Wipro of Bengaluru and Himalaya.

Himalaya said in a statement that its herbs-based baby care products "are exclusively promoted and recommended by over 40,000 doctors in the country, which is the greatest endorsement for us," while declining to provide any financial figures.

The other companies could not be reached for comment.

India's drugs regulator has ordered Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to stop manufacturing its Baby Powder using raw materials in two of its Indian factories until test results prove they are free of asbestos, a senior official said on Thursday.

India's drugs regulator has ordered Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to stop manufacturing its Baby Powder using raw materials in two of its Indian factories until test results prove they are free of asbestos, a senior official said on Thursday. The official at the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), who declined to be named citing the sensitivity of the matter, said a written order had been sent to the US company telling it to stop using the "huge quantities" of raw materials stocked in its plants in northern and western India. The company said on Wednesday that Indian drug authorities visited some of its facilities and took "tests and samples" of its talcum powder. It also said that the safety of its cosmetic talc was based on a long history of safe use and decades of research and clinical evidence by independent researchers and scientific review boards across the world. The visits came as the CDSCO and state-based food and drug administrations launched an investigation into J&J's Baby Powder following a Reuters report last Friday that the firm knew for decades that cancer-causing asbestos could be found in the product. J&J has described the Reuters article as "one-sided, false and inflammatory". The company told Reuters that it is in full compliance with the current Indian regulatory requirements for the manufacturing and testing of its talc. "All talc in India is sourced and exclusively sold in India and surrounding markets including Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and fully meets the regulatory standards of the Government of India," the company said in an emailed statement. J&J also said its talc is routinely tested by both suppliers and independent labs to ensure that it is free of asbestos. Asked if the order meant the company would have to stop producing its ubiquitous baby powder in India for now, the official at the drugs regulator said that was "the inference you have to take" at least as far as the stores of raw materials were concerned. "We have told them until this investigation concludes, you should not use the raw material. Test results will take time," the official said. "Testing for asbestos is not a routine procedure. It might be in traces. It will require us to develop a method and all those things." Familiar Band J&J's Baby Powder is one of the most recognised foreign brands in India along with Colgate toothpaste and Surf detergent. The company started selling its Baby Powder in India in 1948, just a year after the country won independence from the British. Presenting gift boxes containing the product and others aimed at newborns is almost a family ritual in this country of 1.3 billion people, 28 per cent of whom are aged between 0-14. The company also commands a strong retail distribution network through small pharmacies, larger stores and the internet. There is yet to be any significant signs of a backlash against J&J products in India because of the scare. At eight pharmacies across India visited by Reuters reporters on Thursday, seven said J&J remained the No. 1 seller of powder for babies. That doesn`t mean it isn't under pressure from local and international competitors who sell talc-type powders, such as Bengaluru-based Himalaya Herbals, and Italy`s Artsana, which produces Chicco baby brands. And some individual consumers say they are now very wary of J&J`s Baby Powder. "It is really very, very shocking," said Sitaram Beria, a chartered accountant in the eastern city of Bhubaneswar. He said he stopped applying J&J powder on his six-month-old baby after hearing about the Reuters report over the weekend. J&J leads sales in the Indian baby and child toiletries market, which market research provider Euromonitor estimates would be worth 12.5 billion rupees ($178 million) this year, and forecasts will grow 84 per cent to 23 billion rupees in 2022. Euromonitor did not give a breakdown for baby powder alone but said J&J was the biggest player in the overall segment, followed by Mumbai-based VVF Ltd, Artsana, Wipro of Bengaluru and Himalaya. Himalaya said in a statement that its herbs-based baby care products "are exclusively promoted and recommended by over 40,000 doctors in the country, which is the greatest endorsement for us," while declining to provide any financial figures. The other companies could not be reached for comment.

Amid cancer scare, drug regulator body asks Johnson & Johnson not to use baby powder raw material

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