Some of the world’s leading environmental groups are calling for robust measures as UN member states and experts gather in Bangkok to discuss a global plastics treaty.
Groups such as Greenpeace say a worldwide ban should be imposed to eliminate certain plastic products, such as single-use sachets, and the “toxic chemicals” used to produce them.
Campaigners argue that the Bangkok meeting is a crucial opportunity to address the most problematic plastic items, which have overwhelmed waste management systems and contributed to horrifying levels of marine and microplastic pollution across Asia and developing countries.
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The talks come as reports emerge of scientists finding microplastics – tiny plastic particles the size as a grain of sand – in every part of the human body, even in brain tissue.
“Microplastics have been discovered nearly everywhere, from the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea to the clouds above Mt Fuji (in Japan), as well as in the food we eat, water we drink, and air we breathe, a report by Yale Environment 360 said on Thursday.
“In people, microplastics have been found in lungs, placentas, testicles, and bone marrow, among other organs, as well as in blood, urine, semen and breast milk,” it said.
A recent study linked the presence of microplastics to increased risks of heart attack and other cardiovascular problems among people with heart disease, according to the Environmental Working Group in the US, which said that tiny plastics were found to double the risk of people suffering a stroke or heart attack.
A ‘global crisis’ caused by multinationals, petrochems
For many of the groups gathered in Bangkok, a solution to the plastics crisis must start with production bans.
“Plastic pollution is a global crisis, fuelled by our addiction to single-use plastics,” Von Hernandez, Global Coordinator of Break Free From Plastic (BFFP) group said.
“The solution is clear: eliminate these non-essential products and reinstate reuse and refill systems which have been in place before our markets were overwhelmed with sachets and other disposable plastics.”
The groups say multinational consumer goods companies have promoted the use of sachets containing laundry detergent, hair shampoo, tomato sauce and other content in markets worldwide, displacing traditional and sustainable product delivery systems.
This, they say, has led to an unprecedented and unmanageable surge in waste and marine plastic pollution. Brand audits conducted by BFFP reveal sachets as one of the most common types of plastic pollution across Africa and Southeast Asia.
“Sachet production is skyrocketing, and our waste management systems are already overwhelmed,” warns Hernandez. “We need a drastic shift towards reuse and refill solutions.”
Campaigners have called on companies and governments to adopt policies, standards, infrastructure, and financial investments to support a transition away from single-use plastics.
‘Reuse infrastructure needed’
“Plastic reduction can be achieved by promoting robust reuse infrastructure and widespread adoption of reuse practices,” Salisa Traipipitsiriwat, SEA plastics project manager at the Environmental Justice Foundation, said.
“The Global Plastic Treaty presents a unique opportunity to establish robust global frameworks prioritizing reuse. By setting clear, legally binding targets, the Treaty could drive the necessary changes in infrastructure, legislation, and practice to support reuse systems which would address the root of the plastic pollution problem by reducing the need for single-use plastics and the challenges that come with managing their waste.”
Tara Buakamsri, country director of Greenpeace Thailand, urged the Thai government “to take this once-in-a-generation opportunity to end the plastic crisis by championing a Global Plastics Treaty that limits production and bans single-use plastics.
“The Thai government needs to get this right because our health, climate and environment are at stake.”
Dr Shahriar Hossain, one of the experts participating in the Bangkok meeting, emphasized the need for the plastics treaty to phase out harmful chemicals and support the development of non-toxic alternatives.
“Over 13,000 chemicals are used in plastics, with more than 3,200 classified as hazardous. This classification means that they are officially recognized to be toxic, persistent, or to have other concerning properties. Without addressing this, plastics will continue to exacerbate the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution,” Dr Hossain said.
Financiers say petrochems must back treaty
Some activists say the success of the global plastics treaty could hinge on the provision of a financial mechanism to enable its implementation.
Ana Rocha, plastics programme director of the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) said: “A just and effective financial mechanism is key for the treaty to meet its goal of ending plastic pollution. Beyond that, the financial mechanism must also support a just transition and create a compliance assistance program to assist developing countries in meeting their obligations under the treaty, “ she said.
But the good news is there appears to be enormous public support for strong global action. At a meeting in London in April, 160 financial companies agreed that a treaty to end plastic pollution would help spur private sector action.
Finance firms such as Britain’s biggest investor Legal & General Investment Management and Canadian pension investor CDPQ urged a policy framework backed by binding rules, Reuters said.
The group called for companies to assess and disclose plastic-related risks and opportunities; clearer plastic-related policies and targets from governments in areas like waste creating and recycling; and for further private investment to be directed to ending plastic pollution, it said.
And last month, 70 international financial institutions and their representatives with a combined $6.8 trillion of assets under management called on petrochemical companies to transition to safe and environmentally sound practices, by reducing fossil fuel dependency and eliminating hazardous chemicals.
The group, organized by the Planet Tracker financial think tank, said investors with exposure to the plastics value chain want petrochemical companies producing plastic polymers to:
- 1/ disclose and define their strategies on plastic impacts, and set targets for transitioning to sustainable production;
- 2/ commit to eliminating hazardous chemicals in their products;
- 3/ develop sustainable infrastructure;
- 4/ Ensure governance and accountability for sustainability commitments;
- 5/ Support a legally binding international treaty to end plastic pollution, and refrain from lobbying against ambitious measures.
Meanwhile, civil society groups criticized the exclusion of observers and lack of participation in the inter-sessional process of the UN talks, which start on Saturday (August 24). In a letter to the INC Secretariat, they urged a public webcast of the meetings.
The Bangkok meetings aim to identify criteria for plastic products, chemicals, and product design, as well as potential sources and means of implementation for a plastics treaty, including financial mechanisms.
The outcomes will be considered at the final round of treaty negotiations (INC-5) in Busan, South Korea, on November 25 – December 1, 2024.
- Jim Pollard
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