Eight out of ten objects currently on my random table are made of plastic – the only exceptions being the glass cup and the chocolate foil I just ate. Plastic has become so present in our lives that it is not only everywhere around us, but also inside us.
Recent research has shown shocking results: microplastics, tiny particles created by the decomposition of plastic waste, have been found in the human placenta, bloodstream and testicles. Its presence in the body is associated with an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes, as well as with a number of other health problems.
Although the solution to numerous challenges of everyday life came in the form of plastic, it is now one of the biggest threats to human health and the environment. If the current trend of plastic production and consumption continues, the prognosis for humanity and the environment is not good.
According to the report of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) entitled Global Plastics Outlook: Policy Scenarios to 2060global plastic waste could nearly triple by 2060. The report predicts that the increase in plastic production will result in the generation of around 1.2 billion tonnes of plastic waste annually, with half ending up in landfills and less than a fifth being recycled. Most of the waste comes from short-lived products, such as packaging and cheap textiles, which makes it even more difficult to solve the problem of plastic pollution.
In addition, the World Economic Forum (WEF) in its report The New Plastics Economy (2016) estimates that, if current trends continue, by 2050 there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish (by weight).
Whether there is hope to save the planet from the “plastic invasion” will be partially known after the conclusion of the fifth and final round of negotiations for a global agreement on plastics, which are being held in Busan, South Korea.
These negotiations are part of a United Nations initiative to adopt a legally binding instrument to address the global plastic pollution crisis and include proposals to limit plastic production, eliminate hazardous chemicals in plastic products, and introduce global product design standards that enable recycling.
However, these negotiations are also accompanied by tensions that indicate that the world may not be ready to renounce the scourge of plastic. Disagreements between developed and underdeveloped countries were at the heart of the debate on solving plastic pollution, especially regarding financing obligations and the introduction of rules in different economic contexts.
On the one hand, the European Union strongly supports plans to reduce the primary production of plastics and ban harmful single-use products. The EU advocates the “polluter pays” principle, according to which producers bear financial responsibility for plastic waste. Their focus is on creating a circular economy, where plastic would be recycled and reused, instead of ending up in nature or landfills.
There is also the Coalition for High Ambitions, which brings together 65 countries including Canada, New Zealand and Rwanda, which advocates reducing plastic pollution by 2040 through strict global standards for plastic production and recycling.
However, several countries and groups express opposition to ambitious goals to reduce plastic production. Among them are Saudi Arabia, Iran, Russia, China and India. Those countries, especially oil-rich ones, see plastics as a key market for the long-term survival of the fossil fuel industry, which is already suffering from falling demand in the transportation sector. Their representatives point out that plastic plays a significant role in economic development and advocate a focus on improving waste management, instead of reducing production.
The outcome of the negotiations could be crucial for the adoption of the agreement by the end of 2024, with the aim of its ratification the following year. If no agreement is reached, negotiations will continue, prolonging the necessary global action. The main focus remains reducing pollution, supporting the circular economy and mitigating the impact of plastic on human health and biodiversity.
The question remains: will we take the necessary steps in time, or will plastic change the face of our planet forever? One thing is certain – the world has no time to delay.
Milena Maglovski
Source: energetskiportal.rs
