New draft of plastic pollution treaty would not limit plastic production
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
20 hours ago
- CTV News
Failure of talks for plastic treaty turn focus back to reduce, reuse, recycle. How's that going?
Talks aimed at a global treaty to cut plastic pollution fizzled in Geneva this week, with no agreement to meaningfully reduce the harms to human health and the environment that come with the millions of tons of plastic water bottles, food containers and packaging produced today. Though as many as 100 countries sought caps on production, powerful oil-producing nations like Saudi Arabia and the United States stood against them. They argued the caps were unnecessary and a threat to their economies and industries. That means any progress continues to depend on efforts to improve recycling, reuse and product design — the very things that powerful nations argued were sufficient to address the problem without resorting to production cuts. Here's what to know about how successful those efforts have been. A man walks past plastic waste strewn along at Enggros village beach in Jayapura, Papua province, Indonesia, on Oct. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati, File) A man walks past plastic waste strewn along at Enggros village beach in Jayapura, Papua province, Indonesia, on Oct. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati, File) Just how big is the problem? The world makes more than 400 million tons of new plastic each year, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development estimates that could increase by about 70 per cent by 2040 without meaningful change. A great deal of that ends up in landfills or, worse, the environment. Pollution isn't the only problem. Plastics, made almost entirely from fossil fuels, are a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Plastics generated 3.4 per cent — or 1.8 billion tons — of planet-warming emissions across the globe in 2019, the United Nations says. Delegates reacts during a plenary session of Second Part of the Fifth Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-5.2), at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Thursday, Aug. 14,... Delegates reacts during a plenary session of Second Part of the Fifth Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-5.2), at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (Martial Trezzini/Keystone via AP) So, how effective has recycling been so far? Not very. It's notoriously difficult to recycle plastics; only six per cent of what's made gets recycled, according to the OECD. That's largely because different kinds of plastic cannot be recycled together. They have different chemical compositions, making it costly and time-consuming, and requiring a lot of manual sorting. 'There are many different colors of plastics, many different types of plastics called polymers, and 16,000 to 17,000 different chemicals used to make plastics, so by design, plastics are not easily recyclable,' said Judith Enck, president of Beyond Plastics, an organization that works to cut plastic pollution. Experts say plastic is different from materials like paper, cardboard, metal and glass, which all get reused at much higher rates. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates glass recycling at about 31 per cent, and things like steel cans at about 71 per cent. As much as 64 per cent of paper and 74 per cent of cardboard get recycled, according to the American Forest & Paper Association. But 'If you just think of your own home or apartment, you might have a bright orange hard plastic detergent container on top of your washing machine, and then you might have a plastic bag,' Enck said. 'Those two things cannot get recycled together.' Plastic items are seen on Place des Nations in front of the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday, Aug. 4, 2025 before the second segment of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plas... Plastic items are seen on Place des Nations in front of the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday, Aug. 4, 2025 before the second segment of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-5.2). (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP) What strides are being made to improve recycling? The plastics industry says innovations in material science are helping to incorporate more recycled plastics into products and enable more plastic products to be recyclable. Ross Eisenberg, president of America's Plastic Makers, noted the need for an 'all-of-the-above approach.' He said this also includes upgrading recycling infrastructure or improving sorting to capture more used plastics. This also means making recycling more accessible and helping consumers know what can and can't go in the recycling bin. But there are a lot of limitations to this. Depending on consumers for accurate pre-sorting is a lot to ask. And cities may hesitate to make costly infrastructure improvements to their recycling programs if there is little financial incentive or market for the recycled material. 'Local recycling facilities, or markets for the recycled material, don't always exist. Where the collection and processing infrastructure does exist, the recycling plants are essentially plastic production facilities, with the same air, water, and soil pollution problems that are harmful to local residents,' said Holly Kaufman, director of The Plastics & Climate Project and senior fellow at World Resources Institute. Further, mechanical recycling mixes used plastic with new plastic, and the addition of more chemicals. It also requires other steps that shed much smaller plastic particles into the environment. Plastics recycling also usually requires plastic that's never been recycled before — called virgin plastic — as used plastic is weak, Kaufman said. 'It does not make much of a dent.' California is currently suing oil and gas giant Exxon Mobil, alleging deception about the possibilities of plastic recycling. Because of this, Kaufman says, 'The aim should be to significantly reduce plastic production, use, and waste, not recycle more.' Working at Tokyo Petbottle Recycle Co. A plastic recycling company worker sorts out plastic bottles collected for processing at Tokyo Petbottle Recycle Co., Ltd, on June 18, 2019. (Koji Sasahara / AP) What about reusing and redesigning plastics? 'Reuse means creating packaging or products designed to be used multiple times, like refillable containers, or more durable zippered bags that can be washed and refilled many times, extending their lifespan and reducing waste,' Eisenberg, of America's Plastic Makers, said. Experts say reuse is extremely important, but reusable products shouldn't necessarily be used for consumables because of the risk of microplastics. Redesigning plastic often means making it easier to recycle. That can be using one material in packaging instead of several, or printing labels directly onto a container rather than using a separate one that is glued on, but that is more complex. Alternatives to plastics could also be made out of sustainable, less harmful and even regenerative materials, such as seaweed, Kaufman said. There has been progress on this front, but most solutions have not scaled up yet. Waste Recycling at Veolia Facility as Companies Dial Down On Their Own Targets Bales of compressed waste for recycling at a waste management facility in London. (Jose Sarmento Matos/Bloomberg) ___ Alexa St. John, The Associated Press
CTV News
3 days ago
- CTV News
New draft of plastic pollution treaty would not limit plastic production
Plastic items are seen next to an artwork by Canadian artist and activist Benjamin Von Wong, titled 'The Thinker's Burden', a 6-meter-tall sculptural remix of Rodin's iconic Thinker, created especially for the Plastics Treaty negotiations, on Place des Nations in front of the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday, Aug. 4, 2025 before the second segment of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-5.2). (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Soap, wristbands and scaling the UN: People get creative during final plastic pollution treaty talks
GENEVA (AP) — A Swiss ocean protection group is handing out bars of soap to negotiators working on a global accord to end plastic pollution. The messaging on the cardboard box from the Geneva-based Gallifrey foundation reads 'no dirty tricks, vote for a clean plastics treaty.' As Thai diplomat Jutha Saovabha walked to the treaty talks Wednesday morning, Gallifrey Foundation spokesperson Laurianne Trimoulla stopped him to chat and handed him a soap. Saovabha said it was a lovely gift and he liked the plastic-free packaging. Nations are crafting the first global, legally binding treaty on plastics pollution. The meeting at the United Nations office in Geneva is supposed to be the last and people are getting creative to put the pressure on to get a deal done. Here is a look at what they're doing: A 'cheeky' stunt Trimoulla said they chose soap because Switzerland is known for its cleanliness, and democracy. She said it's a 'cheeky' way to deliver a serious message. The foundation partnered with Friends of the Earth International and the Break Free From Plastic movement to urge delegates to vote on the treaty. Currently, every nation must agree for any proposal to be included in the treaty. If consensus can't be reached on the last day, the process could become paralyzed. The talks are scheduled to conclude Thursday. On Wednesday, Trimoulla had about 10 organic soaps left to hand out out of nearly 400. She said many delegates liked the gift, including those from France, Panama, and 'even the United States.' The foundation wants the treaty to reduce plastic production, whereas the U.S. supports provisions focused on better waste management and reuse to reduce plastic pollution. Wristbands to raise awareness about hazardous chemicals The International Pollutants Elimination Network gave wristbands to UN officials, delegates and plastic waste workers before the talks to measure their exposure to chemicals used to make plastics and show the importance of protecting human health with the treaty. It's releasing a report Wednesday about the findings. IPEN cochair Pamela Miller said the treaty is 'all about oil versus our health.' Most plastic is made from fossil fuels. Camila Zepeda, of Mexico, wore one. Zepeda is now leading negotiations for Mexico on an article to address problematic plastic products, including single-use plastics and chemicals. 'I had been reading a lot of research. So I was already sort of wary that we're already exposed to so many chemicals,' she said. 'What I was surprised by, is that all over the world, because this study has been carried throughout different regions, we are all being exposed to those added chemicals in plastics. That is concerning.' A conveyor belt of plastic waste The World Wildlife Fund set up a conveyor belt of plastic waste in the plaza in front of the U.N. office Wednesday. A backdrop showed a turtle, dolphin and a person with open mouths, as if the waste was flowing in. There was a large red button that said 'EMERGENCY', plus a sign that read 'PUSH THE BUTTON, STOP THE PLASTIC FLOOD NOW.' The WWF urged delegates to the talks to push the red button and halt the belt, to represent stopping plastic pollution. Scaling the UN Activists from Greenpeace climbed to the top of the buildings at the entrance to the U.N. office in Geneva and unfurled banners shortly after the negotiations began there last week. Greenpeace said it wanted to show the 'undue influence' of the fossil fuel industry at the talks. Most plastic is made from fossil fuels. 'We need to make sure all eyes are on Geneva in this critical moment where we have this once in a generation opportunity to create a safe and healthy world for everyone,' said Graham Forbes, head of the Greenpeace delegation in Geneva. The banners read 'big oil polluting inside' and 'plastics treaty not for sale.' They painted a black strip on the road at the entrance to the U.N. office to represent oil. 'Shoe leather lobbying' by the plastics industry Much like in Washington, D.C., industry leaders and company executives are meeting with delegates to answer questions and convey their priorities for the treaty, said Chris Jahn, president and CEO of the American Chemistry Council. There was an event before the talks started to showcase a database created by industry to improve transparency about chemical additives in plastics. 'It's shoe leather lobbying and informal personal engagements, where they need an answer to a question quickly and we provide it to them,' Jahn said. 'We're happy to provide information when it's useful and we'll be here as long as we need to, to hopefully get a deal.' Using art to influence policy Benjamin Von Wong, a Canadian artist and activist, is heaping piles of plastic waste onto a large sculpture in front of the U.N. office. Delegates to the treaty talks pass by the sculpture daily in a reminder of their responsibility to solve the plastic pollution crisis. It's his take on the famous sculpture by Auguste Rodin, 'The Thinker' in Paris. There is a male figure in deep thought, like Rodin depicted. But instead of sitting atop a rock, Von Wong's figure sits atop Mother Earth while cradling a baby and clutching plastic bottles. A strand of DNA intertwines them to highlight the health impacts of plastic pollution. On Wednesday, Von Wong added more plastic waste to cover Mother Earth. ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
