OTTAWA — Mother Nature is delivering a typical spring day in Ottawa, with light drizzle, near-freezing temperatures — and thousands of grams of plastic.

A new report says based on previous readings, more than 1,000 kilograms of microscopic plastic particles will fall on the national capital throughout the day.

The report was compiled by Australia’s Minderoo Foundation as a reminder of the scope of the problem as talks continue in Ottawa towards a global treaty on plastic.

Negotiators are working on the framework for a global agreement that would end plastic waste by 2040.

Foundation founder and Australian philanthropist Andrew Forrest says countless plastic particles end up in the air we breathe, the food we eat and the water we drink.

Ottawa is the focus of the report because of the talks, but Forrest says there is plastic falling on every city around the world because plastics get smaller but never fully go away.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 24, 2024.

The Canadian Press