Page 50 - Plastics News October 2018

intErnAtionAL nEwS

UN launches global plastic pollution project

he EU and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP, economic and industrial waste. The Platform will build on
Tor UN Environment) held a high-level event on the and advance the World Economic Forum-hosted Platform
theme, ‘Fighting Plastic Pollution: A Global Race to the for Accelerating the Circular Economy, the work of the
Top,’ featuring countries’ latest plans for addressing Regional Seas Conventions, and other existing initiatives
plastic pollution. The side event served as the launch of and partnerships.
UNEP’s Global Plastics Platform, which will encourage
and support commitments to reduce plastic pollution. New NAFTA draws cautious
Frans Timmermans, European Commission, opened the
event held at UN Headquarters in New York, US, on 25 early praise from manufacturers
September 2018. He said plastic pollution has gained
anufacturing and business groups welcomed
Mthe New NAFTA as Canada will be included in a
renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement The
White House announced Sunday the new agreement
would include both Canada and Mexico. President
Donald Trump has threatened to leave Canada out
of any new trade deal if the country did not agree
to certain demands. Among the proposed changes
is a new name—the United States-Mexico-Canada
Agreement—new terms for automobile production,
widespread attention, but regulation is still needed.
Referring to the European Strategy for Plastics in a access to Canada’s milk markets and revisions to
Circular Economy, adopted in early 2018, he said the EU labor and environmental regulations, according to a
plans to make plastics more circular and to ban them Washington Post analysis. Congress and lawmakers in
where there are feasible consumer alternatives.Marine Mexico and Canada must ratify the treaty before it
biologist Sylvia Earle urged participants to “rethink the
whole problem of single-use, throwaway goods,” as
recycling “only marks the start of another problem.”
Erik Solheim, UN Environment Executive Director, said
the economic threat of plastic pollution can become an
opportunity. He said UN Environment has established a
Global Plastics Platform, which will support countries and
cities in establishing policies to reduce plastic pollution.
UN Environment notes that in 2018, a number of countries
announced plans to ban single-use plastics: India said it takes effect. Many associations praised the fact a deal
will ban all single-use plastic by 2022; Botswana, Chile had been reached but didn’t go as far to endorse it
and Peru announced plastic bag bans; Nigeria revealed wholeheartedly over the existing NAFTA treaty. A typical
plans to establish recycling plants across the country; and response was like that of the one delivered by the
Brazil announced a national plan on plastics. In addition to Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers: “While we still
policy support, the Platform will explore ways to change need to carefully review the text of this proposal, this
the design, production, consumption and disposal of is an encouraging development. The North American
plastics around the world, in line with a transition to a auto industry needs to have all three countries included
more circular economy. UN Environment reports that such in the agreement to realize the benefits and goals of
efforts will include identifying opportunities to reduce a new pact.”

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