Page 25 - Plastics News July 2021

FEATURES

than 1.5C above pre-industrial levels as required by the cannot be tackled by any cleanup, particularly when it
Paris climate agreement. DIIHFWV UHPRWH DUHDV :KDW LV UHTXLUHG LV FXUWDLOLQJ WKH
emissions of plastic to the environment as rapidly and
Simon calls for a binding global treaty to:
comprehensively as possible, they say.
a) Phase out the production of newly made or virgin
plastic by 2040. A report by the NGO Tearfund last year revealed that just
IRXU FRPSDQLHV &RFD &ROD 3HSVL&R 1HVWOp DQG 8QLOHYHU
b) Create a circular economy for plastic, incentivising were responsible for more than half a million tonnes of
UHXVH DQG UHÀOO DQG WKH HOLPLQDWLRQ RI VXEVWDQWLDO plastic pollution in six developing countries each year,
volumes of plastic pollution. enough to cover 83 football pitches every day. Report

c) Start a worldwide clean-up of plastic waste. authors Sarah Kakadellis and Gloria Rosetto say plastic
waste is poorly managed and that by 2050 as much as
“Plastic pollution poses a considerable, even though 12,000m tonnes of it is likely to have accumulated in
not yet fully understood, threat to the environment, ODQGÀOOV RU WKH QDWXUDO HQYLURQPHQW 7KH ODWHVW ÀJXUHV RQ
VSHFLHV DQG KDELWDWV DV ZHOO DV WR FXOWXUDO KHULWDJH µ the export of plastic waste reveal that a ban on exporting
said Simon. “Its social impacts include harm to human plastic to non-OECD countries from January 2021 is having
health, in particular among vulnerable communities, little impact. Figures from the Basel Action Network,
and it comes with substantial economic costs affecting VKRZ WKH (8 LQFUHDVHG SODVWLF ZDVWH H[SRUWV IURP P NJ
especially regions depending on tourism.“Addressing a month in January 2021 to 41.1m kg a month in March
these challenges requires a transformative approach that 2021. Japan also increased exports from 22m kg a month
facilitates measures to reduce production of virgin plastic in January 2021 to 51.4m kg a month in March 2021.
materials and includes equitable steps toward a safe and
FLUFXODU HFRQRP\ IRU SODVWLFV µ The scandals of plastic waste exports to developing
countries were one example of the failure of mechanical
Cleaning up the vast plastic waste footprint spread across recycling as an answer to the plastic pollution problem,
the world requires the targeting of clogged waterways, said Kakadellis and Rosetto.
drains and sewers in many developing countries that do not
have rubbish collection services and where creating and “Technology alone will not and cannot solve the
boosting waste management services would be necessary. SODVWLF SROOXWLRQ FULVLV µ VDLG WKH DXWKRUV ´1R VLOYHU
Producers of plastic would also be required to contribute bullet solution exists for the multifaceted nature of
to help fund clean-ups in some countries. The impact of plastic pollution. The answer instead lies in a blend of
plastic pollution on the environment could trigger negative approaches … from a strong regulatory framework and the
impacts which are irreversible, the report’s authors investment in effective waste collection and management
warned. Matthew MacLeod and his colleagues warned the infrastructure to the development of polymer chemistries,
plastic pollution of the oceans and land is at a rate which OLIH F\FOH GHVLJQ DQG FRQVXPHU EHKDYLRXU µ

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25 July 2021 Plastics News