Global efforts to finalize a treaty aimed at addressing plastic pollution reached a critical juncture this month in Geneva, where representatives from 184 countries convened but ultimately failed to secure an agreement.
Although delegates did not meet the revised deadline for 2024, some environmentalists see the absence of a deal as preferable to a subpar one. Key divisions among nations arose over proposals to limit the use of toxic chemicals in plastic production and to curb overall plastic output. Countries heavily reliant on the plastics and fossil fuel industries, such as the United States and Russia, preferred to concentrate on waste management and recycling strategies, leading to a stalemate.
“We need to address unhinged plastic production.”
Juan Carlos Monterrey Gómez, a delegate from Panama, emphasized the urgency of tackling plastic production during a press conference held before the negotiations concluded. “We’re not here to simply get to a deal. We are here to end plastic pollution,” he asserted.
Since the 1950s, plastic production has markedly escalated, reaching 475 million metric tons annually by 2022. This momentum was underscored by the commitment made by United Nations member states to establish a legally-binding agreement on plastic pollution.
Concerns have also risen about the health implications of plastics, which are manufactured using fossil fuels and contain over 16,000 different chemicals that can leak into ecosystems, ultimately entering the air and human bodies. Health advocates are urging policymakers to reconsider their positions.
The plastic industry has faced growing scrutiny for promoting recycling as a key solution. California recently initiated a lawsuit against ExxonMobil, accusing the company of misleading the public regarding plastic recycling. Reports indicate that less than 10 percent of plastic waste has ever been recycled, with the process being both expensive and complex. Additionally, products made from recycled plastics often require the incorporation of new plastics for added strength.
According to Mohamed Kamal, a waste management expert associated with the Egyptian foundation Greenish who attended the Geneva discussions, recycling often leads to increased production. “Recycling is a reaction to the generation of waste. It is not a preventive method,” Kamal noted in an interview with Technology News.
A coalition of over 70 nations, spearheaded by Norway and Rwanda, aims to take a more ambitious approach to tackle plastic pollution by considering the complete lifecycle of plastic, including production limits. Future negotiations have not been scheduled but are likely to recommence later this year or next.
Jo Banner, co-founder of The Descendants Project, has been a consistent advocate at the negotiations, representing her community in Louisiana, an area known for its high cancer rates attributed to nearby petrochemical and plastic production facilities. She expressed heightened emotional involvement this time around, highlighting that a treaty neglecting health risks from plastic production would do little to alleviate the struggles faced by her community.
Banner firmly stated, “We are willing to go without [a treaty] than to have something that will continue to harm us. It may be labeled a failure by some, but it gives us a global platform to voice our concerns for our communities.”
