Why is plastic pollution control imminent?

 On March 2, the resumed fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly passed the "Resolution on Ending Plastic Pollution (Draft)". The resolution aims to advance the global fight against plastic pollution, one of the most ambitious environmental actions worldwide since the 1989 Montreal Protocol.

What exactly does this resolution contain? How serious is plastic pollution in the world right now? Will our daily waste classification, recycling and other environmental protection consumption concepts be just a drop in the bucket for plastic pollution control?

1 Global focus on ending plastic pollution

The prevention and control of plastic pollution is the focus of this meeting, and a total of 3 draft resolutions are related to plastics. Rwanda and Peru proposed a draft to address the "full life cycle" pollution of plastics from production to waste management, and form a legally binding international agreement on plastic pollution; Japan proposed to establish an international negotiating committee to address the issue of marine plastics ; India proposed to focus on the pollution of plastic products such as single-use plastics.

US scrap plastic exports continue years-long decline

 U.S. scrap plastic exports fell by 12% in 2021, even though some countries, such as India and Mexico, brought in a whole lot more material.

The U.S. exported 1.21 billion pounds of scrap plastics in 2021, down from 1.38 billion pounds the year before, according to an analysis of U.S. Census Bureau export data. Data for the fourth quarter of 2021 was recently released, allowing Plastics Recycling Update to calculate full-year 2021 numbers and compare them with prior years.

The downward move last year continues a years-long decline in plastic exports. In 2017, the year China’s National Sword campaign was first announced but had not yet gone into full effect, the U.S. exported 3.68 billion pounds.

Since National Sword, there has been a distinct shift in where material is flowing, alongside an overall decrease in exports.

The following shows total U.S. scrap plastic exports over the past five years (story continues below chart):

EXCLUSIVE UN plastic treaty to tackle production, packaging design - draft resolution

On March 2, the resumed session of the Fifth United Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, adopted the "Resolution on Ending Plastic Pollution (Draft)". The legally binding resolution aims to advance the global fight against plastic pollution.

Heads of state, environment ministers and other representatives from 175 countries approved and signed the resolution, according to information provided to the media by the United Nations Environment Programme after the meeting. The resolution states that an intergovernmental negotiating committee will be established to reach an internationally legally binding agreement by 2024, covering the entire life cycle of plastic products, including their production, design, recycling and disposal.

The UN Environment Programme said the resolution will drive a fundamental shift in how plastic is produced, consumed and managed. "Today we have made history and we should all be proud of it," said the chairman of the assembly, Norway's environment minister, Espen Barthe-Eder.

Statistics from the agency show that world plastic production has soared from 2 million tons in 1950 to 348 million tons in 2017. Ed said that if no immediate action is taken, the harm of plastic pollution will further expand and threaten human existence. "If plastic is included in the circular economy system, plastic can be recycled completely, and it is time to introduce a legally binding resolution to end the plastic pollution crisis."

Inge Annoson, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme, said that the resolution is the most important international multilateral environmental resolution since the Paris Agreement.

The United Nations Environment Assembly is the highest decision-making mechanism for global environmental issues. Its predecessor was the United Nations Environment Programme Council. The United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution in 2013 to upgrade the council to a United Nations Environment Assembly attended by representatives of member states. The first UN Environment Assembly was held in Nairobi in June 2014.

The first phase of the fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly will be held in February 2021, and the resumed session from February 28 to March 2, 2022 will be the second phase.