On World Environment Day 2025, as the world turns its focus to ending plastic pollution, one of Sweden’s most prominent clean-tech pioneers has issued a dire warning: The plastic crisis is no longer just an environmental issue but a full-blown public health emergency.
Bengt Rittri, founder and CEO of Bluewater, a global leader in sustainable water purification and beverage solutions, calls for immediate international action following a disturbing new study linking everyday plastics to a wide range of severe health threats.
“This is not a distant problem,” Rittri said. “Plastics are poisoning our bodies, our children, and our planet – and we are running out of time to act.”
The landmark research, led by the University of Adelaide’s JBI and the Minderoo Foundation, analysed data from over 1.5 million people across 52 peer-reviewed studies. It found compelling evidence linking chemicals in plastics to a range of serious health outcomes, including miscarriages, infertility, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
“The science is undeniable. Plastics are toxic at every stage of life,” Rittri said. “From unborn babies to the elderly, no one is safe from the chemical assault we are allowing into our food, our air, and our water.”
Bengt Rittri, founder and CEO of Bluewater,
The findings are especially concerning because they do not include the growing body of research on micro- and nanoplastics – tiny particles now found in everything from tap and bottled water to breast milk.
Global plastic production reached 460 million metric tons in 2019 and is projected to nearly triple by 2060. Over 75% of all plastic ever produced still exists – clogging oceans, leaching into soil, and contaminating drinking water and our bodies. Recycling alone will not solve the crisis.
“We cannot recycle our way out of this,” Rittri said. “We need bold, binding global action, and we need it now.”With UN negotiations on a global plastics treaty scheduled for August in Geneva, Rittri is calling on world leaders to adopt strong, enforceable measures, including:
- A phase-down of fossil fuel-based plastic production
- A global ban on hazardous plastic chemicals
- Mandatory safety testing of all plastic components
- Long-term monitoring of human exposure
- Independent research funding into health impacts.
Since 2013, Bluewater has worked incessantly to eliminate the need for the 600 billion single-use plastic bottles produced yearly, offering advanced water purification and beverage solutions that protect people and the planet.
“At Bluewater, we believe everyone has the right to clean, safe water – without polluting the Earth in the process,” Rittri said. “But real change will only come if we stand together – as consumers, companies, and citizens – and demand the change that needs to happen. Let’s be the generation that took a stand. Not tomorrow – today.”
