A historic United Nations pact for plastic waste is approved but not by the United States

Nearly every country in the world has agreed on a legally binding framework to reduce plastic waste pollution, with the exception of the United States, officials said in a statement. United Kingdom.

An agreement on tracking thousands of types of plastic waste appeared Friday at the conclusion of a two-week meeting of US-backed conventions on plastic waste and toxic and dangerous chemicals.

Plastic waste clutters immaculate lands, floating in huge masses in oceans and rivers, and entangling wildlife, sometimes with deadly consequences.

Rolph Payet of the United Nations Environment Program said the Basel-backed "historic" agreement backed by 186 countries meant countries had to monitor and track the movement of plastic waste outside their borders.

The agreement concerns products used in a wide range of industries, such as health care, technology, aerospace, fashion, food and beverages.

"This sends a very strong political signal to the rest of the world – to the private sector, to the consumer market – that something must be done," said Payet. "Countries have decided to do something that will translate into real action on the ground".

Countries will have to find their own ways to join the agreement, said Payet. Even the few countries that have not signed it, such as the United States, could be affected by the deal when they ship plastic waste to countries that adhere to the agreement.

Payet credited Norway for leading the initiative, presented for the first time in September. The time elapsed between this proposal and the approval of an agreement has given a staggering pace to the traditional American standards for such an agreement.

The framework "is historic in that it is legally binding," said Payet. "They (countries) have managed to use an existing international instrument to put these measures in place."

The agreement will likely lead customs officers to search for electronic waste or other types of potentially hazardous waste more than previously.

"There will be a transparent and traceable system for the export and import of plastic waste," said Payet.