Matthew BoyleThe legally bound Global Plastics Treaty will be developed at a meeting of global negotiators starting on Monday in Kenya.
The Global Plastics Treaty, according to researchers, must give priority to inland issues. These include phasing out dangerous chemicals, cutting back on fossil fuel subsidies, and reducing overall production and consumption of plastics.
According to the researchers, downstream recycling and waste management are given a caring amount of attention. The entire life cycle of plastics must be addressed in order to find a genuine solution.
That is important work, but it can only contribute to the solution if it is carried out in a way that is socially simply, safe, and socially responsible.
It is a doomed strategy to clean up the mess while making more. We are unable to recycle our way up.
” A comprehensive treaty must cover everything from the production of plastic and fossil fuels to the recycling and removal of waste that pollutes our land and ocean.”
Science has published the study,” Chemical simplification and tracking in plastics.”
Upstream solutions demand a larger financial commitment.
Only 4 % of investment money is currently allocated to upstream reuse solutions, while 88 % of it is spent on downstream recovery and recycling.
The social economy of plastics, which is intertwined with fossil fuel and speeds up production, consumption, and waste, is thought to be the cause of this imbalance.
The authors contend that opportunities for more effective downstream strategies like reduction, redesign, and reuse are missed by the Global Plastics Treaty’s zero draft.
The team thinks that by prioritizing inland strategies, polymer manufacturers should be required by the treaty to ensure that financing adheres to the zero waste hierarchy.
It is necessary to have a successful Global Plastics Treaty.
The Paris Agreement left a gap that could be filled by the new treaty, which has the ability to serve as the world mechanism.
According to Dr. Lucy Woodall of the University of Exeter, the issue of plastic pollution is significant and can be frustrating.
However, there are opportunities and difficulties at every stage of the plastics life cycle, starting with the extraction of fossil fuels.
Although the Paris Agreement’s goals are to stop burning fossil fuels, they can still be used to produce plastic. A chance to close this opportunity would be provided by the Global Plastics Treaty.
What ought to be a part of the agreement?
The researchers draw attention to a number of additional issues that the Global Plastics Treaty must address.
One important step is to concentrate on ecosystems, Dr. Woodall said.
Plastic objects can serve as a reservoir for invasive species and concentrate different pollutants. When in the environment, plastic litter can entrap and choke wildlife.
” Plastics can also degrade into nanoplastics and potentially dangerous microorganisms.”
It is important to take into account the impact of cheap pollution on ecosystems.
The zero draft of the treaty used words like “hotspot” and” clean up.” Instead of focusing on biological systems and their particular context, these terms emphasize concentrations.
According to Dr. Woodall,” this suggests that the plastics problem can be solved without taking into account ecosystem restoration and the overwhelming burden of foam pollution in some ecosystems.”
” Protecting vibrant ecosystems should be at the heart of our strategy because they are essential for biodiversity and human health.”
The significance of chemical simplification
The chemicals in plastics are one of the main obstacles to addressing world plastic pollution.
Producers are already not required by regulations to keep track of or publish data on the concentrations of dangerous chemicals.
The researchers support chemical simplification, which would lessen the production of dangerous chemicals and improve supply chain transparency. Although some nations are anticipated to postpone the process, they are optimistic that a Global Plastics Treaty can be reached.
According to Dr. Wang,” when we speak to negotiators, they give us a democratic “reality check” about juggling ambition and securing an agreed-upon treaty in expected course.”
In exchange, it is our responsibility as scientists to provide a clinical reality check on the scope of this issue and potential solutions that could really help us return to the Earth’s secure operating space.
To stop the accumulation of plastic waste and dangerous chemicals in the priceless ecosystems of our planet, we need a treaty that is comprehensive and idealistic, addressing every stage of this problem- extraction, production, resource allocation.
