Plastic Pollution Problem

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The move to take global action on plastics pollution is gaining momentum. The Bahamas has already made significant strides, but there is still quite a way to go.

Bye-bye plastics – that’s the goal of a proposed United Nations Global Plastic Treaty which aims to cut plastics globally by 2040.

It’s on the agenda at the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee meeting currently in Uruguay.

Japan’s Vice Minister for Global Environmental Affairs, Hiroshi Ono says he believes a legally binding solution is needed to see action on plastic pollution.

“Increasing pollution suggests that they are clearly not sufficient to address the issue so far. A legally binding solution is now necessary to bring all countries on board and raise awareness of all stakeholders, including the general public. And strong, strengthened measures,” Ono said.

The Bahamas has already taken action to phase out and ban single-use plastics including plastic bags, straws, food utensils and styrofoam containers.

Now other countries around the world are stepping up to reimagine and even redesign products to cut plastics.

Described as a green deal, the proposed United Nations Plastic Waste Treaty would consider putting restrictions on “problematic plastics”.

Stewart Harris, a lobbyist for the American Chemistry Council says it will have far reaching effects.

“We need better systems, we need to look at product redesign. We need to look at delivery mechanisms for consumers across the lifecycle of plastics and across the various uses. But when we start to talk about restricting production, it becomes very complicated because again, that production doesn’t go into a specific application per se,” Harris said.

“It has the opportunity to go into many different applications. And so restricting production of polyethylene or polypropylene or other different resins will have tremendous negative impacts on the economy.”

That U.N. treaty is set to be finalized by 2024.