Time is running out for a deal to stop plastic pollution – here’s why it matters

Over the past decade, I have been studying international action to combat plastic pollution. During this time, I have witnessed a significant increase in the amount of plastic waste, with an estimated 400 million tons being thrown away every year. Plastic pollution is now ubiquitous.

The issue of plastic pollution has risen up the public and political agenda in ways few could have predicted. Global action has always been the missing piece of the picture, as the plastics economy transcends national borders and actions in one jurisdiction, while bringing local benefits, typically do not address global pollution problems.

Tackling plastic pollution requires changes across the entire plastic economy. This should focus on reuse and replenishment schemes that reduce the need for new plastic products and replacing plastic with other materials that are less polluting or harmful.

Along with my team of policy researchers, I attended the last three plastics treaty negotiations as an observer to assess progress towards a global treaty. For the most part, progress has been slow, largely due to delaying tactics and blocking by several countries that depend on the fossil fuel industry. Lobbying from the petrochemical industry is further holding back progress. Given the short deadline for agreeing on the agreement, I am afraid that an agreement will not be reached.

Three priorities

Closing negotiations should include three things.

The immediate priority is to agree on the rules governing decision-making in negotiations between member states, known as the “rules of procedure”. Currently, decisions are made by consensus, meaning all delegations must agree before a decision is made.

Given the entrenched positions of some countries, consensus-based decision-making is unlikely to quickly lead to agreement, as some countries’ positions diverge widely. Rules of procedure should include a voting mechanism so that if there is strong agreement among a majority of countries, decisions can be made and progress can be made when consensus cannot be reached.

The second important issue is finances. Plastic pollution is a problem faced most acutely by low- and middle-income countries. A plastics deal is likely to only be effective if the countries most affected by plastic pollution are given sufficient funding to take action.

As the climate debate has shown, finance is incredibly controversial and raises critical questions. This includes who will pay for the problems plastic pollution has already caused and new measures to combat plastic pollution, as well as how supporting countries can best provide the necessary technology and training.

The role of the private sector is also significant in the plastics economy, and discussions are ongoing about innovative private financing options to support implementation of the agreement. In order for a contract to be credible, there must be an agreement on the general terms of the financing mechanism for its implementation.

The treaty should also focus on actions that are most likely to reduce plastic pollution. There is clear evidence that reducing the production of virgin plastic polymers is the most effective and efficient way to reduce plastic pollution.

Plastic is being produced at such a rate that waste management systems can’t keep up. Thus, a treaty aimed at waste management will not sufficiently reduce plastic pollution. Only stopping plastic production will stop the flood of plastic waste.

Of course, there are many other important elements that need to be agreed upon during negotiations. Criteria should be established to identify problematic, waste and plastic products that companies should stop producing. Problematic plastics have harmful effects on human health and the environment, so any chemicals of concern must be removed from plastic materials and products. Unnecessary plastics are those plastics whose function is considered unimportant, while avoidable plastics have an important function but can be replaced with a non-plastic alternative.

Subsidies on virgin plastics that make single-use products so financially attractive need to be eliminated. Any changes to the plastics economy that this treaty creates should also benefit workers in the informal recycling sector.

This week is crucial for the world’s attitude towards plastic. People and the planet depend on it.

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Steve Fletcher, Professor of Ocean Policy and Economics, University of Portsmouth

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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