UN Global Treaty Aims to Stop Fresh Plastic Pollution

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The United Nations (UN) has been urged to set ambitious plastic pollution targets in its upcoming Global Treaty to End Plastic Pollution.

Steve Fletcher, Director, Global Plastics Policy Centre at the University of Portsmouth called upon the global agency to ensure that it sets up a meaningful and ambitious target to beat plastic pollution. The UN must aim for 0% new plastic pollution by 2040, he said. The above target could be achieved only through co-ordinated efforts by various stakeholders including policymakers, businesses, researchers and society.

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Fletcher pointed out, in his paper, that the global treaty is yet to set a target and that it urgently needs to set a clearly defined target at the earliest. A single well-defined target and a clear strategy of actions is essential for the treaty to become successful.

The Global Plastics Policy Centre observed that it is not practically possible for countries to clear up all existing plastic pollution. A better option would be to have stricter policies in ensuring that new plastic pollution entering the environment are stopped.

In addition to national plastics policies by individual nations, there needs to be a coordinated global effort to regulate entry of new plastic pollution. The paper noted that the current commitments to tackle plastic pollution are inadequate, as they are expected to reduce plastic entering the environment by only 7% by 2040.