Will global efforts to reduce plastic really be enough to save the environment? The Global Plastics Treaty will be subject to negotiations and this raises hopes that pollution will be stopped. Scientists warn that despite this, the microplastic problem in particular may remain unsolved. Why?
Microplastics are small particles created as a result of the decomposition of larger plastic waste – it is safe to say that they are ubiquitous today. It pollutes the oceans, soils and even the air we breathe. Its impact on life in lakes, seas and oceans, food production and human health is serious, and the scale of the problem is constantly growing. Even if the production and use of new plastics can be drastically reduced, the billions of tons already present in the environment will continue to break down into tiny fragments for decades. And while this larger plastic waste is unlikely to harm us as organisms, microplastics are deadly dangerous. The treaty essentially aims to eliminate plastic pollution by 2040, but without action on existing waste, this goal may be unachievable. And this – according to experts – is missing.
What’s behind the microplastic problem?
In the context of the Global Plastics Treaty, attention has been focused on preventing further pollution. However, there is a lack of equally decisive actions to remove waste already present in the environment. This is why the treaty may not bring the expected results.
The process of plastic fragmentation takes decades and its effects last for years. Microplastics not only reduce the quality of seafood, but also disrupt important ocean processes, including: phytoplankton photosynthesis. This in turn affects the entire food chain and the global ecosystem.
What can we do with this stuff?
Experts emphasize that reducing plastic production alone is not enough. Active removal of existing contamination is also important. Removing just 3% of old waste annually, combined with aggressive reductions in new plastics, could significantly reduce future microplastic problems, research shows.
Examples of effective actions include: cleaning beaches or removing plastic from rivers, which can prevent further breakdown of waste into microparticles.
Check also: Microplastics are even here. This is a tragedy for humanity
The treaty must make sense
The Global Plastics Treaty is a step in the right direction, but its success depends on implementing reasonable actions in three areas: production reduction, recycling and disposal of existing waste. Without a balance between these pillars, the treaty can only slow down the unfavorable process, not eliminate it.
Experts call for a more ambitious approach that will include both prevention and active fight. World leaders now have an opportunity to create a comprehensive plan that will not only slow pollution, but also begin to repair the damage already done to the environment.
Microplastics and the effects of their presence in the environment require innovative solutions and cooperation on a global scale. Is humanity ready to meet this challenge? Time will tell, but the condition is simple: actions must cover many areas, not just one or at most two. Without this, we will only achieve a reduction in the emission of new pollutants – and over the years of the presence of plastic in the history of our civilization, we have generated huge amounts of it.
Source: antyweb.pl
