Towards a plastics treaty
Our planet is drowning in plastics: more than 353 million tons of plastic waste were produced in 2019. Without dras-tic measures, 1,014 million tons annually will pollute waters and land by 2060, according to the OECD. To tackle this serious global environmental problem, the UN is seeking a treaty.
An important meeting for this purpose takes place in April 2024. To inform these negotiations, European science academies make 10 recommendations, among them:
- Set a target for reducing plastic production
- Ensure all plastics are reusable, recyclable or compostable (circular economy)
- Internalise all environmental, social and health costs into the price for new products
- Set incentives to change consumer behaviour by product designers and retailers
- Ban addition of microplastics to products
- Incentivise companies to collaborate in reverse supply chains
- Extend producer responsibility to all costs related to waste management
The urgency of measures is emphasised by András Báldi, co-author of these recommendations: «Plastics do not rot, they only break down in smaller pieces and do not decompose. Meanwhile, the resulting micro- and nanoplastics have spread everywhere on the planet and are even found in our bodies.»
Edition / Volume: EASAC Commentary
Pages: 17 p.
Standard identifier: https://doi.org/10.1553/EASAC_Plastics_2024
Contact
Dr. Roger Pfister
Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences
House of Academies
PO Box
3001 Bern
Switzerland