Page 40 - Plastics News December 2017

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Call for global treaty on plastic marine waste

any of the countries advocated for a zero tolerance the plastics industry supports 260 marine litter projects
Mapproach against Marine Littering at the United globally.“Since 2011, our industry has partnered in many
Nations environmental meeting held in Kenya earlier this efforts to research and prevent marine debris around the
month. The U.N. Environment Assembly’s actions are not world,” he said. “Marine debris is a complex, global issue
legally binding, but more than 200 countries adopted a that deserves thoughtful consideration and action on the
resolution urging much more be done about plastic waste, part of government, scientists and industries working
and some said they want the action to lead to legally together.” But other actions up for serious consideration
binding treaties. by the U.N. body include things that could make some in
Norway’s Minister of Climate and Environment Vidar the industry nervous, including container deposits (which
Helgesen, for example, told the Reuters news service the resolution specifically encouraged), plastic bag bans
the plastics language is “very strong” and that countries and phasing out single-use plastics.
will now “explore a legally binding instrument and other The executive director of the U.N. Environment
Programme, which organized the assembly, said at the
close of the forum that his blueprint for “what comes
next” included, as his first item, to “stop plastics.” “For
too long, we have treated the ocean as a bottomless
dumping ground for plastic, sewage and other waste,”
said Erik Solheim, director of U.N. Environment. In a
news release he identified plastic pollution, air quality
and chemicals as the priority areas from the meeting.
Helgesen, who co-chaired a U.N. meeting on plastic
ocean debris in June, said at the closing session that he
favored a “zero vision” for plastic waste, and said stronger
worldwide action is needed on marine litter. “There is
a lack of a coherent international governing framework
to address marine litter in a comprehensive manner,”
measures and that will be done at the international level Helgesen said. “The rapidly increasing level of plastic
over the next 18 months.” The assembly met Dec. 4-6 litter and microplastics in our oceans is a global concern.”
in Nairobi, Kenya, and adopted 13 resolutions on topics
including plastics, mercury and lead poisoning, and air The assembly meeting suggests high-level discussions
pollution. It was the third gathering of the assembly, with around plastics will continue, with stepped up attention
the next session likely in two years. from governments.Plastics industry officials in the past
have called the U.N. Environment Programme’s approach
The plastics industry, through the World Plastics Council,
issued a statement saying the assembly vote “adds to the “problematic,” particularly after that agency declared
fast-growing global consensus that to end marine plastic a “war on ocean plastic” earlier this year. Industry
pollution we must invest in improved municipal solid waste executives have said they prefer approaches that focus on
management, with a focus on emerging economies with building government waste collection programs, like that
large populations near rivers and coastlines.” pushed by the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum,
instead of product bans. WPC noted in its statement
WPC is made up of plastics trade associations around that a study by Trucost found that replacing plastics with
the world, including the American Chemistry Council, other materials in consumer goods and packaging would
PlasticsEurope and the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals
Association.WPC Chairman Abdulrahman Al-Fageeh said increase environmental costs three-fold.But the U.N.
the U.N. resolution is consistent with other research meeting included discussions on actions against specific
and government statements from APEC, the G-7 and products, including an official side conference on Kenya’s
G-20, and commitments by plastics makers. He said recent plastic bag ban.

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