Around the world, a long and growing list of countries are taking strong action to combat unnecessary single-use plastics. Kenya has the strictest plastic bag ban in the world – with fines of up to $38,000 and prison sentences for those caught selling, manufacturing or transporting. The United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) and the United Nations Ocean Conference have directly addressed the issue of plastic waste and microplastics in the ocean, and Ciel and its partners have provided insights and expert advice since the early days of this process. Britain, which will leave the EU at the end of the year, is considering one of two options: supporting growing calls for negotiations on a new global treaty or strengthening existing agreements to reduce plastic waste. A decision by Environment Minister Zac Goldsmith is imminent. The United States has so far spoken out against an international agreement on plastic waste. An existing international treaty, the Basel Convention, regulates shipments of hazardous waste between nations and was amended in 2019 to cover plastic waste. The United States, which signed the 1989 agreement but never ratified it, did not accept the amendment. The legal vacuum must now be filled and filled by a new legally binding agreement on plastic pollution, empowered to solve the problem at the source by capping plastic production. Even manufacturers have an interest in global rules on plastic waste resolving inconsistencies between countries. There are a number of international conventions relating to the control of various aspects of marine plastic pollution, including the Stockholm and Basel Conventions and MARPOL, as well as various regional maritime conventions.

There is also a variety of national and regional legislation (e.B. at EU level) in different countries. «Our goal needs to be broader than keeping plastic waste out of the ocean,» Hocevar said. «We`ve put so much plastic in the environment that it`s in the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe. Plastic is fueling the climate crisis and harming our health. The damage caused by the production and disposal of plastics is a major environmental justice issue, with communities of color often experiencing the worst effects. «There is, of course, a role for recycling, but the amount of plastic currently consumed would require huge investments in infrastructure that go far beyond current commitments. Even in highly developed countries such as the UK, infrastructure is under heavy supply pressure, with only 30-34% of UK consumers` plastic packaging currently being collected and recycled. [1] Even with the best recycling technology available, the maximum recycling rate for the current plastic blend would only be between 36% and 53%.

[2] Even if a plastic is recyclable or consists of recycled content, it still poses the same risk when it escapes into the natural environment. And of course, unlike other materials such as glass, plastic can only be recycled to a limited extent. Without international support, however, Kenya`s actions alone have not reduced waste, Macharia said, explaining that «due to our porous borders that allow for the illegal trade in plastic,» it has only been moved across Kenya`s borders to other countries. We have developed what is called a «thought starter» on the elements and design of a convention to launch the political debate. The question of whether formal negotiations should be opened will be on the table of UNEA-5. You can read our Thought Starter and watch an online presentation for the Ad Hoc Open Expert Group on Marine Litter and Microplastics. The simple plastic bag has become a symbol of the growing problem of plastic waste worldwide. But there are seven definitions of what counts as a plastic bag in the world – and that complicates efforts to reduce its spread.

Several delegations supported a new global agreement, although there was no consensus on whether it would only address the disposal of plastic waste in the sea or continue to combat plastic pollution as a whole and whether it would be legally binding. In the run-up to UNEA Resolution 5.2, two draft resolutions (resolutions) on plastic pollution are currently under discussion at UNEA 5.2 in 2022 – one from Rwanda/Peru and one from Japan. The present document contains a textual comparison of the two draft resolutions. It shows the preparation of Japan`s working paper on the draft resolution (formally submitted on 6 December 2021) alongside the Rwanda-Peru resolution (originally presented in September 2021). It is intended to provide a comparison to support discussions on the possible merger of draft resolutions in the perspective of UNEA 5.2. This document was prepared jointly by the Environmental Investigation Agency and the Centre for International Environmental Law. At the fourth and final meeting of the AHEG Group last week, which will feed into the 5th UNEA Conference in 2021 and 2022, many delegates expressed concern that the crisis will be exacerbated by excessive plastic pollution associated with the personal protective equipment needed to combat the coronavirus pandemic. To further explore how a global agreement could benefit the Pacific, the EIA partnered with researchers at Massey University`s Center for Research in Political Ecology (PERC) to identify current restrictions on national plastic pollution policies to prevent plastic pollution. The report, titled «Policy Gap Analysis,» also explores the potential for implementing best practices to reduce plastic pollution and promote a safe circular economy for plastics.

It takes the first fundamental steps to analyse the gaps in the region and make concrete recommendations on how to address these challenges through the development of strategic and ambitious policies. Plastic pollution has been on the agenda of the United Nations since 2012. In 2019, at the last in-person meeting of the UNITED Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi, discussions on plastic waste were hampered, particularly by the United States, which opposed a binding treaty. The only agreement that emerged was an agreement to keep talking. Blinken called for an international agreement that would allow countries to develop independent national action plans on plastic pollution. The treaties must be ratified by the entire Senate, where the Biden administration has often met with opposition from Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) to environmental agenda items, the 50th Democratic vote. The flow of plastic into the ocean is expected to triple by 2040 if current trends continue, up to 29 million tonnes per year – the equivalent of 50 kg per metre of coastline worldwide. All the efforts made and announced so far to reduce plastic waste are expected to reduce the volume by only 7%. Once in the sea, it breaks down into microplastics to be absorbed by marine life. In 2019, 187 countries took an important step towards solving the plastic waste crisis by including plastic in the Basel Convention, a treaty that regulates the transfer of hazardous waste from one country to another. Ever-increasing research on plastic and its chemical additives raises awareness of its potential relevance to the Stockholm and Rotterdam Conventions, which cover persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and hazardous chemicals respectively.

No matter how you look at it, once released into the environment, plastics have been around for centuries. It doesn`t matter if it`s one of those 10 rivers, one of the other rivers, or a completely different source like sewage, ships, or coastal activities. The only viable long-term solution to ocean plastic pollution is to stem the tide of plastics from all sources, which requires rethinking plastics and their consumption. France, currently Vice-President of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), is heavily involved in this negotiation process. At the 5th France-Oceania Summit in July 2021, French President Emmanuel Macron officially approved a joint statement in favor of adopting a decision at the second session of the fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi, which provides for intergovernmental negotiations on a binding international agreement on plastics. A global plastics treaty could establish a legally binding obligation to eliminate plastic pollution leakage, particularly in the oceans, and define the need for national targets and plans for the reduction, recycling and management of plastics. It could also highlight the importance of a circular plastics economy by highlighting the idea that poor plastic management is the leading cause of plastic pollution. The Treaty can thus promote the use of appropriate policy instruments at national and sub-national level, including producer responsibility for waste management, monitoring and compliance in waste generation, collection and management, and facilitate cooperation between industry and civil society towards a systemic approach. .