Science and plastic pollution
Climate change, deforestation, the extinction of species, overfishing, and the uncontrolled growth of the global population. Back in 1992, scientists […]
United Nations & Plastic Pollution
The issue of plastic pollution also called the plastic soup, is present all over the world. The tides carry it from one side of the ocean to the other, and the plastic is blown freely between borders. It’s impossible to hold any single country accountable for the mess. The problem gets worse each day, and the international community has failed to come up with an effective plan to address the situation. Plastic pollution is on the agenda of the United Nations, and resolutions are passed which call upon member states to take measures to curb the ecological effects of plastic rubbish, but there is no coordinated international deliberation and no harmonized mandatory reduction of plastic (packaging). Countries with large petrochemical, food, and beverage industries (for example, the United States and The Netherlands) are the most vociferous in their objections to an international treaty with such mandatory provisions.
United Nations: existing treaties and plastic pollution
At the moment, there is a patchwork of treaties, agreements, and action plans which aim to counteract plastic pollution. The United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) informs states of their duty to protect the marine environment. The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (known as MARPOL) prohibits ships from dumping plastic into the sea, while the Stockholm Convention prohibits the use of specific chemicals. The Basel Convention, meanwhile, regulates the export of dangerous waste materials including plastic. A different convention, the CBD, focuses on protecting biodiversity. Action Plans (Regional Seas Programmes) limit themselves to agreements between smaller groups of countries. Thus far, there are no treaties in existence that take the plastic soup as their starting point, despite the fact that UN member-states recognize that the issue can only be combatted through international cooperation.
A separate UN Treaty for plastic?
None of the existing treaties, each of which has its own specific focus, is a suitable basis for the comprehensive discussions which are necessary to contain and combat the plastic soup. For this reason, the voices that call for a separate treaty on plastic pollution from the United Nations are getting louder and louder. Environmental ministers from all over the world have been discussing this idea for years. Environmental organizations – including the Plastic Soup Foundation – have made a proposal that focuses on four areas. The treaty must:
- Coordinate and strengthen existing treaties
- Prevent expansion of the plastic soup through introducing binding agreements on the reduction of plastic production and usage
- Offer financial support to developing countries for implementing these measures
- Stimulate the transfer of technological know-how
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