Talks about a legally binding international instrument to end global plastic pollution took centre stage during the third session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) held at the United Nations Office, Nairobi.
The session, which is the mid point towards the treaty, is part of a five-meeting schedule that started November 2022 with the aim of addressing the menacing issue of plastic pollution. According to Gustavo Adolfo Meza-Cuadra Velasquez, Chair of the INC, the urgency of addressing plastic pollution should not be overstated. Plastic pollution continues to negatively impact the world as over 400 million tons of plastic are produced globally every year, with only 10% being recycled.
It is why President William Ruto, during the opening of INC 3, called for a change in tack.
“To deal with plastic pollution, humanity must change. We must change the way we consume, the way we produce and how we dispose our waste. This is the reality of our world. Change is inevitable. This treaty, this instrument that we are working on, is the first domino in this change,” he said.
According to Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the instrument being created should not only handle plastic pollution by recycling or waste management alone, if it is looking for a long-lasting solution.
“The treaty should not be an instrument that deals with plastic pollution by recycling or waste management alone. It should be the full life cycle. This means rethinking everything along the chain, from polymer to pollution, from product to packaging. We need to use fewer virgin materials, less plastic and no harmful chemicals. We need to ensure that we use, reuse, and recycle resources more efficiently. And dispose safely of what is left over. And use these negotiations to hone a sharp and incisive instrument to carve out a better future, free from plastic pollution,” she said.
“The instrument must eliminate unnecessary, problematic, and avoidable plastic products – including short-lived and single-use plastics. It must eliminate unnecessary single-use products and foresee a switch to non-plastic substitutes, alternative plastics and plastic products that do not create negative impacts. This includes dealing with microplastics and harmful chemicals. Also, it has to strengthen systems for reducing, reusing, refilling, repairing, and recycling,” Andersen added.
The session also witnessed the start of negotiations on the basis of the Zero Draft text prepared by the Chair of the INC. Prior sessions were strained by delays as some countries stalled discussions due to their large stake in the treaty. With the session ongoing until 19th November, it is with hope that the committee will come to a uniform agreement on the mandate of zero draft text, paving way for the finalization of the treaty in the remaining fourth and fifth session that are expected to be held next year.
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