WORLD
Advocates Philippines
Plastic Pollution Could Fall By 80 Percent By 2040
AFP File
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is set to release a groundbreaking report titled "Turning off the Tap". This report aims to inform negotiators about the urgent need for action and the transformative changes required to address the issue effectively.
The report emphasizes the severe negative economic costs of plastic pollution, which amount to hundreds of billions of USD annually. It highlights how this pollution wreaks havoc on infrastructure, disrupts energy production, hampers tourism revenue, blocks drains, causes city floods, and poses potential risks to human health due to exposure to hazardous chemicals.
To combat this crisis, the report outlines three essential shifts that need to occur. Firstly, it calls for the elimination of unnecessary and problematic plastics. Secondly, it stresses the importance of accelerating the market for reusable products and expanding the recycling industry. Lastly, the report emphasizes the need to reorient and diversify the market for sustainable and safe alternatives to plastic.
Taking a comprehensive life-cycle approach to plastics is crucial, according to the report. This involves rethinking every stage of the plastic's journey, from product and system design to production, use, recovery, and disposal. The redesign of packaging, systems, and products is identified as a critical step. The involvement of creative chemical engineers and manufacturers in developing alternatives to plastic, both for products and packaging, is essential.
The report acknowledges the challenges inherent in transitioning to a circular plastics economy, particularly in countries grappling with poverty and limited access to resources. It calls for innovation from manufacturers, importers, exporters, and governments to overcome these barriers and make sustainable solutions possible.
If the global community can successfully implement the recommended changes, plastic pollution could be reduced by a staggering 80 percent by 2040. This reduction would yield significant social, environmental, and human health benefits, while also curbing greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, it has the potential to create approximately 700,000 jobs, primarily in the Global South.
UNEP is urging everyone to participate in the just transition towards a new plastics economy, which promises to improve the livelihoods of millions of workers in informal settings.
The responsibility to end plastic pollution lies with governments, businesses, the financial sector, chemical engineers, and citizens. Governments are urged to deliver a robust deal to address plastic pollution, while businesses must exhibit innovation and commitment to transitioning away from virgin plastics. The financial sector is called upon to allocate its capital towards the transformation, with a focus on solid waste management and collection systems, including recycling and organics. Chemical engineers must scrutinize product design to eliminate harmful chemicals and plastics. Lastly, citizens are encouraged to use their voices, votes, and wallets to drive change.
Plastic continues to offer immense benefits to humanity, but only if the entire system is reimagined to ensure its circulation within the economy and prevent its intrusion into the natural world. With the scientific evidence firmly pointing to the urgent need to address plastic pollution, the message is clear: it is time to turn off the tap on this disastrous material and create a sustainable future for all.
The report emphasizes the severe negative economic costs of plastic pollution, which amount to hundreds of billions of USD annually. It highlights how this pollution wreaks havoc on infrastructure, disrupts energy production, hampers tourism revenue, blocks drains, causes city floods, and poses potential risks to human health due to exposure to hazardous chemicals.
To combat this crisis, the report outlines three essential shifts that need to occur. Firstly, it calls for the elimination of unnecessary and problematic plastics. Secondly, it stresses the importance of accelerating the market for reusable products and expanding the recycling industry. Lastly, the report emphasizes the need to reorient and diversify the market for sustainable and safe alternatives to plastic.
Taking a comprehensive life-cycle approach to plastics is crucial, according to the report. This involves rethinking every stage of the plastic's journey, from product and system design to production, use, recovery, and disposal. The redesign of packaging, systems, and products is identified as a critical step. The involvement of creative chemical engineers and manufacturers in developing alternatives to plastic, both for products and packaging, is essential.
The report acknowledges the challenges inherent in transitioning to a circular plastics economy, particularly in countries grappling with poverty and limited access to resources. It calls for innovation from manufacturers, importers, exporters, and governments to overcome these barriers and make sustainable solutions possible.
If the global community can successfully implement the recommended changes, plastic pollution could be reduced by a staggering 80 percent by 2040. This reduction would yield significant social, environmental, and human health benefits, while also curbing greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, it has the potential to create approximately 700,000 jobs, primarily in the Global South.
UNEP is urging everyone to participate in the just transition towards a new plastics economy, which promises to improve the livelihoods of millions of workers in informal settings.
The responsibility to end plastic pollution lies with governments, businesses, the financial sector, chemical engineers, and citizens. Governments are urged to deliver a robust deal to address plastic pollution, while businesses must exhibit innovation and commitment to transitioning away from virgin plastics. The financial sector is called upon to allocate its capital towards the transformation, with a focus on solid waste management and collection systems, including recycling and organics. Chemical engineers must scrutinize product design to eliminate harmful chemicals and plastics. Lastly, citizens are encouraged to use their voices, votes, and wallets to drive change.
Plastic continues to offer immense benefits to humanity, but only if the entire system is reimagined to ensure its circulation within the economy and prevent its intrusion into the natural world. With the scientific evidence firmly pointing to the urgent need to address plastic pollution, the message is clear: it is time to turn off the tap on this disastrous material and create a sustainable future for all.
May 22, 2023
