The Case for Stopping a Petrochemical Plant in Belgium

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Project One is the brainchild of Ineos run by billionaire Jim Radcliffe. It's going to be the biggest petrochemical plant to be built in Europe for 30 years. The US currently produces about 20% of global plastic. But what does actually making this stuff do to us and to the environment? Can the plant be stopped? And what will it take to finally get to grips with plastic pollution?

The environmental law charity ClientEarth and 13 other groups headed into a Flemish court this week in an effort to stop Ineos building a petrochemical plant that would be the biggest project of its kind in Europe for 30 years. Madeleine Finlay hears from correspondent Sandra Laville about how plastics are made, the environmental and health impacts of the process and what needs to be done to get a handle on plastic pollution. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod