Recycling will not be enough to tackle growing plastic production, UN Environment Agency director Inger Andersen has warned, calling for action across the “entire chain”, especially in consumer products.
Two weeks ago, the first version of the future international treaty against plastic pollution was published, which should be finalized by the end of 2024.
This document will reflect the wide range of ambitions of the 175 participating countries, as well as the position of those who advocate reducing the production of base polymers and those who push for reuse and recycling.
‘There are different solutions. But I believe the whole world recognizes that the status quo It’s just not an option”says Andersen in an interview with AFP, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, in which he calls for the fight against large-scale pollution from all possible fronts.
The priority, according to the person in charge, is to “eliminate single-use plastic as far as possible” and “whatever is necessary”, because according to her it is “stupid” to wrap oranges or bananas that are already protected. “by nature itself.”
Therefore, “you have to think about the product itself: does it have to be liquid? Can it be powdered, compact or concentrated?” he asked, adding that when he goes to the market, he first checks the soap part to see if they offer solid versions.
“We need to reduce the supply of new polymers,” an option mentioned in the document, he highlights.
The ocean as ‘collective inheritance’
For Inger Andersen it is important to recycle, but due to the increased use of plastic, not all problems will be solved with this measure alone.
Annual plastic production has more than doubled in the past twenty years to 460 million tons. If nothing is done to change the situation, this number could triple by 2060. Meanwhile, the recycling rate is almost 9% per year.
Currently, these different sized remains are found on the seabed, in the stomachs of birds and on mountain tops, while microplastics have been found in blood, breast milk and the placenta.
“If we continue to inject all the polymers into the economy, there will be no way to stop the flow of plastics into the ocean,” he warns. An ocean whose health is vital to the future of humanity.
Therefore, the future treaty would complete the arsenal for its protection, including the historic new Agreement for the Conservation of the High Seas, signed this week by 70 countries.
“The fact that we are making progress to protect this part of the ocean, beyond national jurisdictions, is incredibly important,” said Andersen, who expressed “very pleased” with the measures taken to preserve this “collective legacy.”
Environmentalists hope that the Treaty on the High Seas, which includes the creation of marine protected areas in international waters, can enter into force in 2025 as it is the only hope of meeting the international community’s pledge to achieve 30% by 2030 of the oceans. “With determination, I am optimistic that we will achieve this,” he says.
Source: DN
