The Struggle for a Global Plastics Treaty

What was supposed to be a "once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity to curb plastic pollution ended in a deadlock. Over 100 countries gathered in Busan, South Korea, late November for a final round of negotiations to hash out a global plastics treaty. The talks were supposed to cap plastic production, improve the lifecycle management of plastics, and support developing countries in implementing these measures. Yet, the week-long meeting finished without even agreeing on the basic scope of the treaty.

The talks were obstructed by a handful of oil-producing countries, which opposed to any limits on plastic production. Not only that, they were accused of abusing procedural tactics to deliberately stall negotiations.[1]

The fifth meeting ended with no legally-binding treaty agreed on (Image source: Anthony Wallace/AFP)

This stalemate comes at a time when plastic pollution has never been worse. We are now leaking 52.1 million tonnes of plastic waste into the environment every year, according to latest estimates.[2]Once in the environment, they can wreck havoc by entangling, choking, or maiming wildlife. When plastics eventually break down into micro- and nanoplastics, they infiltrate every part of the environment, from the depths of the oceans to drinking water, and even our bodies. Recent studies have found the presence of plastic particulates not only in our blood, but also in the brain and reproductive organs.[3]^,[4]

The whale stranded in Tai O may have died due to ingesting a large canvas bag (Image source: AFCD)

The plastic industry has promised new innovations and recycling technologies to address the environmental impacts, but it comes off as more of a public relations exercise. Earlier this year, a report, "The Fraud of Plastic Recycling”, uncovered how fossil fuel and petrochemical companies have spent decades misleading the public about the effectiveness of recycling while profiting from rising plastic consumption.[5]

One such example is chemical or advanced recycling; which California is now suing ExxonMobil over for processing more than 90% of plastic waste into fuel instead of recycled plastics.[6]While biodegradable plastic sounds appealing, they often require specialised facilities to process and could contaminate recycling streams if mixed with other plastics.[7]^,[8] Further, these new polymers do little to address the over 16,000 chemical additives—used to provide flexibility, colour, insulation, and more—that makes plastic versatile but challenging and even hazardous to recycle.[9]Studies have found food-contact plastics, such as food trays and kitchenware, can be tainted with toxic flame retardants from recycled electronic products.[10]^,[11]

Plastic recyclers and waste workers are more exposed to the myriad of chemical additives used in plastics (Image source: AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

With the world starting to turn its head on fossil fuels over climate change, oil producers are trying to pivot towards plastics to stay relevant and profitable. All this does however is trading one global threat for another. Despite the industry’s insistence otherwise, a truly circular solution to plastics remains elusive. Capping plastic production is a must to protect people and the planet.

A follow-up session for the global plastic treaty is scheduled later this year. Getting a breakthrough may be difficult though, if bad state actors are allowed to continue undermining global efforts.