This weekend in Busan, South Korea, countries around the world are wrapping up negotiations on a treaty to address the global plastic pollution crisis. With over 400 million tons of new plastic being produced annually and the use of plastics quadrupling in the last 30 years, the equivalent of 2,000 garbage trucks of plastic is dumped into oceans, rivers, and lakes every day. Panama is leading an effort to address the exponential growth of plastic production as part of the treaty, supported by over 100 countries, in an attempt to prevent plastic production from climbing by 70% by 2040.
China, the United States, and Germany are the biggest players in the plastics industry, accounting for 33% of global plastics trade. Most plastics end up as waste, with less than 10% being recycled. The International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Plastics held an event asking for their rights to be recognized in the treaty, with focus on the universal human right to a healthy, clean, safe, and sustainable environment.
About 40% of all plastics are used in packaging, including single-use plastic food and beverage containers that often end up polluting the environment. The U.N. Environment Program Executive Director emphasized the need for the treaty to address specific plastic items that leak into the environment and explore alternatives. As negotiations wrap up, the hope is for a global, legally binding plastic pollution accord to be in place by the end of 2024 to combat the growing crisis.
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