Cape Town - Conservation organisation, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has called for a ban on “most high-risk and unnecessary” single-use plastic products – such as plastic cutlery, e-cigarettes and microplastics in cosmetics, among others.
This is ahead of further negotiations around an international legally binding treaty on plastic pollution (which take place in Paris at the end of the month).
WWF said in spite of regulation and voluntary measures at national levels, efforts haven’t proven enough to stop plastic leaking into the environment in one location, and ending up hundreds or even thousands of kilometres away.
Single-use plastics, microplastics and lost or discarded fishing equipment – known as “ghost gear” – now make up the majority of plastic pollution in the ocean, said WWF.
“Many communities don’t have the infrastructure to deal with this barrage of plastic waste flooding their lives, nor can many governments afford collection services. So communities are left to manage the waste by themselves which can lead to negative impacts on their well-being,” says Zaynab Sadan, WWF plastics policy co-ordinator for Africa.
A series of new reports published today – commissioned by WWF and conducted by Eunomia – identifies the most damaging plastic products polluting the environment and proposes global control measures needed to eliminate, reduce or safely manage and circulate these plastics. WWF is advocating for these measures to be included in the treaty text, set to be published in the lead-up to the next round of talks in December.
The research presents solutions for how to address the most urgent plastic pollution challenges under the new global treaty, by splitting plastic products into two groups – those that can feasibly be significantly reduced or eliminated in the short term (Class I) and those that cannot currently be feasibly eliminated or significant reduced but require global control measures to promote recycling and responsible management and disposal (Class II).
The analysis splits the products into broad categories based on pollution risk, which WWF believes will aid effective regulation at the global level, over legislating for individual plastic items – which can be both complex and open up potential loopholes.
“Eliminating high-risk and unnecessary single-use plastics is the first step towards creating a fairer and more circular economy, but the treaty must ensure the recognition and inclusion of those who may be affected by such bans, such as informal waste workers. The negotiations in Paris are an unmissable opportunity to put forward global measures that could finally move us away from the single-use mindset that’s fuelling the dual nature and climate crises, and put us on a nature-positive pathway,” added Sadan.
The UN plastic pollution treaty talks are taking place in Paris from May 29 until June 2.
Cape Times