A historic opportunity to end plastic pollution

Plastic pollution is a boundless poison that is infiltrating some of the most remote places on Earth, particularly across the Arctic region. As EIRIK LINDEBJERG writes, without robust and decisive global action during the final plastic treaty negotiations later this year, by 2040, the amount of plastic that ends up in the ocean will triple.

Since the 1950s, the amount of plastic produced globally has increased from nearly two million tonnes to more than 460 million tonnes. Alongside this rise, we’ve seen plastic mutate from being a supplementary element in our lives to a compulsory one, whether we liked it or not. Since 2000 alone, global plastic waste has more than doubled.

Given that only a fraction of the plastic we have ever produced has been recycled, we now find ourselves facing a global catastrophe. Our rivers and oceans are being suffocated, our food, air and water contaminated, and marine and other wildlife are dying. The overproduction, use and disposal of plastic is also exacerbating the climate crisis and posing a major risk to human health and the world economy.

The single-use problem

While we acknowledge that plastic is essential in some aspects of modern life, such as in health care—especially if designed, used and managed responsibly—we are undeniably using it too much, often to produce pointless things. More than half of global plastic production is now geared towards single-use products. Despite what it may say on the label, many plastics are too difficult or dangerous to recycle, so are sent to landfill, burned or end up polluting our natural environment.

Single-use plastic now accounts for 7 per cent of plastic pollution in the ocean. Once in our shared ocean, plastic can reach almost any location on the planet, including the Arctic, which encompasses some of the most remote and fragile ecosystems on Earth.

Perceived as pristine and untouched, the Arctic is actually a growing hotspot for plastic pollution. The ocean currents that have fed this region for thousands of years now transport poison in the form of plastics. Currents, atmospheric winds and human activity all contribute to the alarming increase of plastic in the region that is posing a major threat to wildlife, marine ecosystems and Indigenous communities.

Plastic pollution, especially microplastics (which are the result of larger plastic products breaking down into countless smaller, often microscopic pieces) can be ingested by a wide range of Arctic mammals, seabirds, fish and invertebrates, leading to malnutrition and even death. Through this route, plastic accumulates in the food chain, eventually affecting larger predators, such as polar bears and seals, and humans. Marine animals are also at risk of entanglement in larger plastic waste—such as fishing nets, known as ghost gear—leading to injuries and even death.

New mindset needed

Despite national and voluntary initiatives to curb this crisis, production, consumption and pollution continue to increase. The plastic pollution crisis is a global problem that demands a global solution. It demands that we move beyond the voluntary mindset that has dominated our collective response over the last three decades and work together to end this crisis.

The Global Plastic Pollution Treaty represents a historic opportunity. So far, there have been four negotiation meetings, with the fifth and final one set for November in Korea. In the face of growing pressure from the oil and plastics lobby, we need our leaders to stay true to their promise to end the plastic crisis and build on the huge support they have been receiving from scientists, businesses, civil society and Indigenous communities for a strong and ambitious treaty.

Essentially, the treaty must establish the binding international rules and regulations needed to spark the necessary market shift. Leaders must secure four key measures:

• Binding global bans and phase-outs of problematic and avoidable plastic products and chemicals of concern
• Binding global product design requirements and systems for the transition toward a non-toxic circular economy
• A comprehensive and sufficient financial package to support all nations in a just transition
• A decision-making mechanism to ensure the treaty can be strengthened over time and not blocked by future vetoes

Reason for hope

A majority of countries have already expressed support for the treaty to include these measures. The science is there to tell us which products and materials should be put on phase-out lists. And a large part of the industry has expressed support for civil society demands through initiatives such as the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty. We just need leaders to have the political courage to adopt the deal despite the predictable resistance from a handful of countries fuelled by petroleum interests.

A final agreement must offer a credible pathway towards reducing plastic production and consumption and include specific obligations to eliminate the most problematic elements of the plastics value chain and ensure that all plastics we continue to produce are safe to reuse and circulate.

We will make history in 2024. The coming round of negotiations can be the moment our leaders decide on bold, binding global actions across the entire plastics lifecycle to protect nature and human health. Or these leaders can go down in history for turning their backs on the planet, their citizens and the long-term prosperity of societies in favour of short-term gains and industry interests.