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Explained: Plastic recycling in focus as countries meet in Paris for treaty talks

Paris, FranceEdited By: Nishtha BadgamiaUpdated: May 30, 2023, 07:17 AM IST
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Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reported that the plastic waste produced globally is set to almost triple by 2060 with nearly 50 per cent of it ending up in landfills and less than a fifth recycled.  Photograph:(Agencies)

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The negotiations to deal with arguably one of the biggest environmental issues that affected the world are supposed to take place over five meetings by next year which is a short amount of time and needless to say, the stakes are high. The debate which is emerging between countries is around some wanting to limit the production of more plastics while others calling for recycling as the solution to plastic waste. What is happening in Paris? WION Explains. 

A United Nations committee began talks to come up with a landmark global plastics treaty in Paris, on Monday (May 29), which would ideally be aimed to end global plastic pollution. However, the countries remained divided as the debate rages on about what the outcome should be.

The debate which is emerging between countries is around some wanting to limit the production of more plastics while others calling for recycling as the solution to plastic waste, with the plastic-producing and oil and gas companies supporting the latter and environmental groups in favour of the former. 

United Nations talks in Paris 

The meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for Plastics began on Monday and will go on till the end of the week. The committee has been tasked with developing the first international legally binding agreement on plastics as early as next year. 

Representatives from 175 nations and over 2,000 participants from governments and observers met at the United Nations cultural agency headquarters in Paris. Head of the negotiations Gustavo Meza-Cuadra Velazquez began the meeting by acknowledging that the challenge was “immense, as we are all aware here, but it is not insurmountable.” He added, “The world’s eyes are on us.” 

The negotiations to deal with arguably one of the biggest environmental issues that affected the world are supposed to take place over five meetings by next year which is a short amount of time and needless to say, the stakes are high. This was the second meeting of the countries which followed the first one, six months ago in Uruguay. 

French President Emmanuel Macron, on Monday, also addressed the session and urged the nations to negotiate and put an end to today’s “globalised and unsustainable” production model. “Plastic pollution is a time-bomb and at the same time already a scourge today,” said Macron, in a video message. 

Global plastic problem

A report published by the UN Environment Program, earlier this year, said that humanity produces more than 430 million tons of plastic annually out of which two-thirds are short-lived products which eventually become waste. This waste then ends up in our oceans, sits in landfills, and is now making its way into the human food chain. 

So far, microscopic bits of plastic have been detected in human blood, breast milk and placentas. There are some 13,000 chemicals associated with plastic production out of which 3,000 are considered hazardous, said the report by UNEP.

Similarly, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reported that the plastic waste produced globally is set to almost triple by 2060 with nearly 50 per cent of it ending up in landfills and less than a fifth recycled. 

Plastic also accounted for 1.8 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2019 and over three per cent of global emissions, said the OECD report. “Only elimination, reduction of, a full lifecycle approach, transparency and a just transition, only those can bring success because the truth is that we cannot recycle our way out of this mess,” UNEP’s Inger Andersen told the delegates.   

What do different countries and groups want?

The UNEP, which is also hosting the talks, released a report earlier this month for reducing plastic waste by 80 per cent by 2040. It outlines three key areas of action to reduce plastic pollution – reuse, recycling and reorientation of plastic packaging to alternative materials. 

Similarly, several countries have said the goal should be the “circularity” of plastics, which means keeping the already-produced plastic items in circulation as long as possible. 

The so-called High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution wishes that the treaty should focus on human health and the environment and called for provisions to ensure an “increase the safe circularity of plastics”. 

“We have a responsibility to protect human health in our environment from the most harmful polymers and chemicals of concern through the treaty,” said Rwanda’s environment minister and co-chair of the coalition, Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya, on Monday.

The 55-nation coalition led by Norway and Rwanda also includes countries like Peru, Australia, several island nations, and European Union member states also aim to end plastic pollution by 2040. 

“We agree that we need to reduce production at least of virgin plastics,” Norway Environment Minister Espen Barth Eide told DW. He also noted that the market demand for new plastics would decrease as the circular economy increased. 

However, many environmental groups have criticised this possible solution as they believe it focuses on waste management and recycling instead of reducing production and grants concessions to the plastics and petrochemicals industry. 

Environmental groups about the treaty

A report published by Greenpeace, on May 24, found that recycling plastic can make it more toxic and it should not be considered a solution to plastic pollution. “Plastics are inherently incompatible with a circular economy,” said the report by the environmental group. 

They have also called for the production of plastic to be slashed by 75 per cent from the 2017 levels as recycling certain types of plastic remains extremely difficult. 

“If we keep the focus at the end of the pipe and on recycling and promoting a bunch of false solutions like chemical recycling, or cement kilns, or waste-to-energy, we will lock ourselves into some of the worst impacts of climate change,” said Graham Forbes, global plastics project leader at Greenpeace, United States, as quoted by DW. 

Notably, this shift of focus from addressing plastic waste and scaling up recycling has been supported by plastic-producing and oil and gas exporters nations. The German-based media outlet, citing sources also said Saudi Arabia is one of the reluctant nations to an ambitious strategy to end plastic pollution while the US, China, and India have low ambition for the talks.

“Real solutions to the plastics crisis will require global controls on chemicals in plastics and significant reductions in plastic production,” said Therese Karlsson, science advisor with the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN). 

Similarly, IPEN’s co-chair, Dr Tadesse Amera said that if the treaty were to focus on plastic waste as opposed to plastic production as well as extraction of fossil fuels and toxic chemical additives, to solve the crisis, it would be a “failure”. 

What do the plastic producers want?

Several plastics producers’ associations have also supported recycling. In line with this, the International Council of Chemical Associations, the World Plastics Council, the American Chemistry Council and others which make, use and recycle plastics have called for the elimination of plastic pollution while “retaining the societal benefits of plastics.” 

They have also called themselves “global partners for plastics circularity,” as per the Associated Press. “The agreement should require national action plans as that will most effectively eliminate plastic pollution specific to a country’s situation,” said Joshua Baca, VP of plastics at the American Chemistry Council, as per AP. He also said that the “one-size fits all approach” would not work to eliminate plastic. 

On the other hand, IPEN’s international coordinator, Bjorn Beeler said leaving these decisions up to individual countries as opposed to having an international legally binding document in place would be unfair to regions like Latin America and Africa that do not manufacture much plastic or chemicals. 

“So that national approach climate model would be a failure again because you can't really handle a global problem at a national level,” said Beeler, as quoted by DW. 

(With inputs from agencies) 

 

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