At home and abroad
Picture credit – UNIDO
During my work in Malawi, one of the more observable effects of plastic pollution was the number of small blue plastic bags littering the environment – stuck in bushes, littering river banks, and beside sidewalks and roads. These bags were used by retailers of all kinds to package their goods. The Government eventually passed a law to make production and sale of these bags illegal. To see the prevalence of plastic containers one only need look in our refrigerators – mustard and relish, tomato ketchup, mayonnaise and peanut butter now come in plastic bottles. However, change is happening. In the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, the sale of soft drinks in plastic bottles was made illegal, and recently I saw on television that major soft drink companies are advertising the use of recyclable plastic bottles. My regular petrol station now has a place where drivers can fill up empty windshield wiper fluid bottles. Of course, still more needs to be done.
The United National Environment Program (UNEP) has in recent years been engaged in international discussions on plastics and resultant pollution.
https://www.unep.org/inc-plastic-pollution
In March 2022, at the resumed fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2), a historic resolution was adopted to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.
The resolution (5/14) requested the Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) to convene an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) to develop “the instrument,” which is to be based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic, including its production, design, and disposal. According to its website, several meetings of the INC have been held, most recently in Ottawa in March 2024. The next will be held in Busan, Korea when they hope to finalize agreement on the wording of an international binding treaty on plastic.
During a recent mission to Bangladesh, I spoke to the head of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) country office about a project they are doing on plastics pollution. Funding for the project comes from Norway. Dr. Zaki U. Zaman indicated “UNIDO is implementing a USD 4.10 million project in Bangladesh. A dedicated team is already on board. We are working on i) policy, ii) consumer awareness, iii) capacity building of manufacturers on resource efficiency and cleaner production (RECP) and design for environment, and iv) recycling and circularity. Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BPGMEA) and Bangladesh Institute of Plastic Engineering and Technology (BIPET) are partners in this project.” UNIDO is working with both the Department of Environment and the Ministry of Industries. Information on UNIDO’s global efforts on plastics pollution is provided on their website.
https://www.unido.org/Marine-plastic-litter
What you can do?
At a national level monitor your country’s views and approval of the proposed plastics treaty and provide your support to its adoption. At a personal level, find ways to reduce, recycle and reuse plastics.