Eco Report – October 10, 2025

In this week’s Eco Report feature, we hear part 3 of the Max Jancich and Ashton Harper talk with Andrew King, the director of RecycleForce, an Indy-based non-profit focused on e-waste recycling, to learn the broader story about recycling and misconceptions surrounding recycling.

An ambitious plastic treaty could have a positive, lasting impact on the environment and human health. The Montreal Protocol, adopted in 1987 to phase out ozone-depleting aerosols, is a great example of what can be achieved.

The original Kyoto Protocol for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, on the other hand, was not ambitious enough. It had fewer signatories and its effectiveness varied between countries. The plastics treaty is at a similar crossroads.

This treaty is a unique opportunity. It could ensure harmful additives are disclosed, new materials are proven safe before use, and upstream measures — such as reducing production and simplifying plastic chemistry — are prioritised.

A promising draft treaty, circulated in December after two years of negotiations, was revised at the end of the first week of the summit, and then cut in half midway through the second week. All items of contention had been removed.

Words such as “target”, “chemicals”, “harmful” and “phase out” were absent. Article 19 — the one addressing human health — was deleted altogether. References to public awareness disappeared from the waste-management section.

Gone are plans to globally phase out specific products such as plastic bags and straws. So is the section on sustainable production and reduction targets. There is no mention of chemicals of concern, or transparency around additives. Even basic language about improving recycling rates, banning open burning and dumping, or encouraging behaviour change has been removed.

On a positive note, the revised draft still encourages innovation and research. But without safeguards, there’s a risk efforts will simply consist of finding loopholes to dodge penalties. We’ve seen this before too: replacing one banned chemical with another unregulated, equally harmful one.

In the absence of a strong treaty — at least for now — we shouldn’t underestimate the power and influence we have as consumers. Industry does respond to public demand. Just look at what happened with plastic microbeads.

These tiny pieces of plastic were once common in personal care products such as exfoliants, body scrubs and toothpastes. But when people started to reject products containing microbeads, recognising them as a source of microplastics, manufacturers took note.

Governments also stepped in. The Netherlands was the first country to ban them, soon followed by many others. Eventually, manufacturers phased plastic microbeads out of their product lines worldwide.

That shift was largely driven by popular pressure. It’s a small win, but a telling one — a reminder that our choices can make a difference.

Did you know some of the biggest sources of microplastics are synthetic textiles and tyres? Together they contribute more than 60% of primary microplastics. Microplastics are released not just when an item is discarded and decays in the oceans, but every time it’s worn or washed.

Seemingly small actions – such as buying fewer clothes, choosing natural fibres where possible, washing less often, and walking or cycling instead of driving – can make a difference if we all act collectively.

It’s also worth looking at other sources of microplastics in our surroundings, to limit exposure. Carpets are generally made of synthetic fibres that constantly shed microplastics. Exposure is significantly higher indoors, including inside cars – another reason to walk.

Australia is not a big producer of raw polymers from fossil fuels. That may be partly why our nation is part of the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution by 2040.

However, Australians consume more single-use plastic per capita than most other countries – more than 50 kilograms per person, per year.

We don’t need to wait for a treaty to start curbing plastic pollution in our own lives. If we get serious about changing our ways, manufacturers may be forced to take notice.

Are you worried about effective environmental action? In 1970, 20 million Americans took to the streets to demand action to protect the environment for the first time. Some protested. Others built bike paths or planted trees.

Many now look back on that day — the very first Earth Day — as a pivotal moment for the modern environmental movement. Fifty-five years later, it’s again urgently necessary for people to speak up and contact their elected officials.

“The Trump administration’s unlawful power grab will take away protections for our drinking water and clean air,” according to Joanna Slaney, who leads the Environmental Defense Fund’s advocacy work. “The American people did not ask for these health protections to be taken away.”

Here are four things you can do to help protect the environment:

—Contact your member of Congress. Don’t let he onslaught of bad news wear you down. Elected leaders need to hear from you. Call them in DC – the Capitol switchboard is 202-224-3121 – sign a petition or demand action by email.

–Speak Up! Are you outraged by the extreme nature of the Trump administration’s actions? That could mean attending a demonstration, visiting your Congressperson’s local office, or writing a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. If you use social media, use your account to re-share fact-based information about clean energy and environmental protections.

–Get Involved locally. It’s critical to find local allies who can help you take action. Your political engagement matters.

–Donate regularly. Fund organizations that work to stabilize the climate and help people and nature thrive. The current administration is making it harder than ever, and reliable, ongoing support is very much needed.

Some of the most damaging droughts in recorded history have taken place over the last two years, according to a new report by the US National Drought Mitigation Center and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.

The drought events, fueled by climate change and relentless pressure on land and water resources, have led to more than 90 million people across Eastern and Southern Africa facing acute hunger. In Somalia, where an estimated 43,000 people died in 2022 due to drought-linked hunger, 4.4 million people faced crisis-level food insecurity in early 2025.

While the crisis is worst in Africa, other parts of the world are not spared. In the Mediterranean, water shortages negatively impacted domestic supplies, agriculture, and tourism, while the Amazon Basin saw record-low river levels in 2023 and 2024 that led to mass die-offs of fish and endangered dolphins, and disrupted drinking water and transport for hundreds of thousands of people.

The 2023-2024 El Nino event created a perfect storm, which amplified already dire climate change impacts in areas affected by extreme warming, population pressure, and fragile infrastructure. As with all crises, the most vulnerable people, in particular women and children, faced the worst impacts, such as acute malnutrition and more forced child marriages due to families seeking dowries to survive.

In this week’s Eco Report feature, we hear part 3 of the Max Jancich and Ashton Harper talk with Andrew King, the director of RecycleForce, an Indy-based non-profit focused on e-waste recycling, to learn the broader story about recycling and misconceptions surrounding recycling.

Credits:

On Air………………………………..Julianna Dailey
On Air………………………………..Carrie Albright
Headlines…………………………..Cynthia Roberts
Headlines…………..Environmental Defense Fund
Headlines………………….Population Connection
Feature Report………………………… Max Jancich
Feature Report…………………….. Ashton Harper
Script…………………………………Julianna Dailey
Events Calendar…………………….Julianna Dailey
Engineer…………………………..Branden Blewett

Are you looking for a way to make a difference on environmental issues?

Eco Report is  looking for reporters, engineers, and segment producer to report facts on how we’re all affected by global climate disruption and the ongoing assaults on our air, land and water. We also celebrate ecologists, tree huggers, soil builders and other champions who actively protect and restore our natural world, particularly those who are active in south central Indiana. All levels of experience and all ages are welcome, and we provide the training you’ll need. WFHB also offers internships.

To volunteer for Eco Report, call at (812) 323-1200, or e-mail [email protected].