Global Sustainable Initiatives to Reduce Plastic Pollution: Where Are We At?
It’s long established that plastic pollution has a wide range of detrimental effects on the environment. Unregulated production, distribution, and usage of plastics have contributed to land and water pollution to an unimaginable extent. Even so, today we live in a world where plastics are very much part of our lives; it’s time we rethink the way we buy, use, and dispose of them sustainably to ensure a better future for our planet.
To regulate plastics in the economy sustainably, it is equally important to be aware of how they pollute the environment. In this article, we will look into the basics of plastic pollution, how we are faring presently and what are some of the best sustainable initiatives currently in place that are regulating plastics worldwide.
Plastic pollution: An overview
Plastics helped in revolutionizing many of the modern discoveries, paving the way for history to be remade. In the post-WWII economy, plastic products became one of the highly consumed commodities, improving the lives and livelihoods of many. This highly versatile material became a problem with the start of the ‘throw away’ culture. Single-use plastics including plastic bags and food wrappers have a very short lifespan, but once they are thrown out into the environment, they last for centuries.
Plastic that gets thrown on land is then carried over large distances by wind and rain, through streams and rivers, to finally reach the ocean. Once they reach the ocean, they are carried all around the world by ocean currents. Scientists have found plastic trash from faraway countries in remote, uninhabited islands disrupting their delicate ecosystems. Plastics that end up in the ocean are further broken down into microplastics, which then enter water systems and food chains or even adrift in the air.
Being exposed to plastics has the potential to adversely impact human health, potentially leading to disruptions in fertility, hormonal balance, metabolism, and neurological functions. The pollution also poses a threat to over 800 marine and coastal species, subjecting them to risks such as ingestion, entanglement, and various other hazards.
Where we stand right now
Every year, Environmental Action (EA), a swiss based team of sustainability leaders determines the ‘Plastic Overshoot Day’, which is the day when the amount of plastic waste generated worldwide surpasses the capability of waste management systems to effectively manage it, thereby contributing to plastic pollution. It was projected that the Plastic Overshoot Day for 2023 is on 28th July; meaning we as a global community have not managed to curb the issue effectively for another year. Based on the findings from the EA’s study, it was also projected that in 2023, there will be a total of 158,943,925 tonnes of plastic waste generated, and by the end of its life cycle, 43% of this global plastic waste will not be properly managed, leading to an additional 68,642,999 tonnes of plastic pollution in the environment.
Although it might appear challenging, the path toward a future without plastic pollution is a journey we need to undertake collectively. Governments, businesses, and individuals all have pivotal roles to fulfill. Through assessing plastic pollution impacts, aligning waste management with available resources, and adopting open and honest reporting, corporations can take the lead in promoting sustainable production practices and motivating others to do the same.
Sustainable initiatives for regulating plastics
Today, many countries including the UAE have taken the time and effort to launch sustainable initiatives that focus on solving the issue of plastic pollution. On a global stage, multiple sustainable initiatives have been in progress for years, actively assisting nations in reducing their plastic production and consumption, while also enhancing waste management and recycling practices. Here are some of them-
- One plastics initiative
One plastics initiative by the United Nations Environment Program is a sustainable initiative that was launched to tackle plastic pollution through empowering policies and radical market transformation, aimed at creating a resource-efficient circular economy for plastics.
The Initiative collaborates with an extensive network of partners and stakeholders to accomplish the following objectives by 2027:
- Strengthen the plastics policies and regulations in 45 countries to facilitate a robust shift towards a fair and secure circular plastics economy.
- Encourage 500 private sector entities in critical industries to embrace efficient circular solutions and innovations, and demonstrate their commitment to reducing plastic pollution.
- Influence 50 financial institutions to incorporate circularity principles and policies to prevent plastic pollution and rework their sustainability strategies and goals to include reduced plastic usage.
- UNEA Global Plastic Treaty
During February and March of 2022, the UN Environmental Assembly convened in Nairobi to tackle plastic pollution and create a science-based treaty. To facilitate this process, the UNEA is in the process of establishing an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) to finalize the agreement by 2024. The treaty will acknowledge various strategies, underscore the significance of addressing plastic pollution, and endorse the necessity of a legal framework.
- Global Tourism Plastics Initiatives
The tourism industry has long contributed to a lot of plastic reaching the environment. This has caused major issues in ecologically sensitive regions and required immediate attention. As a result, the Global Tourism Plastics Initiatives was launched, bringing together governments, businesses, and stakeholders together to take strong measures for reducing plastic pollution. The terms and agreements of this sustainable initiative will be finalized by 2025.
The primary focus of this agreement is to reduce and eliminate problematic or unnecessary plastic packaging and items that are widely used in the industry and switch to reusable alternatives. Additionally, there will be directions on recycling and the use of recycled packaging within the industry.
- European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy
In December 2015, the European Commission embraced an EU Action Plan designed for a circular economy. In this plan, the commission recognized plastics as a primary concern and pledged to develop a strategy that focuses on the complete lifecycle of plastics and reduces its negative impact on the value chain.
In 2017, the Commission reiterated its commitment to addressing plastic production and usage and set an objective of ensuring that all plastic packaging is recyclable by 2030.
- ReSource: Plastic activation hub
ReSource: Plastic activation hub by the World Wildlife Fund is aiding some of the top companies in the world to transform their ambitious plastic pledges into quantifiable actions. The initiative focuses on not only actioning sustainable strategies within their business operations but also extending far beyond their supply chains.
WWF actively collaborates with local partners in places ranging from Indonesia to Peru to prevent plastic from entering our planet’s most remarkable ecosystems. The fund also assists fishing and ocean communities in enhancing their fishing gear utilization and retrieval practices, thereby mitigating the significant threats to marine life.
Do your part
There are many more sustainable initiatives run by organizations across the globe that need more exposure and participation. As humans, it’s our duty to learn and partake in initiatives that reduce pollution, protect ecosystems, and help sustain our planet for the coming generations.
If you wish to learn more about shifting to a circular economy for plastic and plastic recycling in Dubai, check out our page for more information.
Sources:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jNxEwz2Q-6-QGd5RjtNfjnpaw0jgTUld/view?pli=1
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/plastic-pollution
https://www.earthday.org/7-global-efforts-for-plastic-legislation/
https://www.unwto.org/sustainable-development/global-tourism-plastics-initiative
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1516265440535&uri=COM:2018:28:FIN
