A Need for Global Plastic Treaty

Syllabus: GS3/Environmental Pollution

Context

• More than 170 countries will converge in the Republic of Korea, to negotiate a new legally binding global treaty to end plastic pollution, including marine pollution. 

About

• Background: In 2022, the UN Environmental Assembly convened in Nairobi, to debate the global plastic crisis.
  • 175 nations voted to adopt a global treaty for plastic pollution—agreeing on an accelerated timeline so that the treaty could be implemented as soon as 2025.
• The negotiations are whether to agree to binding limits on certain classes of chemicals and on plastic production, or to settle on a package of funding aimed at improving trash collection and recycling.
  • Saudi Arabia, Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan, Egypt, Kuwait, Malaysia, and India have expressed resistance to stricter mandates and have instead proposed measures such as innovative waste management and sustainable plastic use.
  • On the other hand, Rwanda, Peru and the European Union have proposed ambitious targets for curbing plastic pollution.

Need for the Treaty

• Plastic production has skyrocketed across the world in recent decades.
  • The annual global production of plastic doubled from 234 million tonnes (mt) in 2000 to 460 mt in 2019. 
  • Nearly half of this was produced in Asia, followed by North America (19%) and Europe (15%). 
  • Plastic production is expected to touch 700 mt by 2040, as per the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
• Slow Decomposition: Plastic takes anywhere from 20 to 500 years to decompose, and less than 10% has been recycled till now, according to a 2023 study by The Lancet. 
• Environmental Impact: Much of the plastic waste leaks into the environment, especially into rivers and oceans, where it breaks down into smaller particles (microplastic or nanoplastic).
  • This has severely impacted the environment and health of living beings.
• Impact on Humans: Exposure to chemicals in plastic can cause endocrine disruption and a range of human diseases including cancer, diabetes, reproductive disorders, and neurodevelopmental impairment. 
• Climate Impact: In 2020, it generated 3.6% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with 90% of those quantifiable emissions coming from plastic production, which uses fossil fuels as raw material. 

India’s Position

• India does not support any restrictions on the production of polymers. 
  • Any restrictions are beyond the mandate of the UNEA’s resolution adopted at Nairobi in 2022.
  • The resolution also includes a principle of national circumstances and capability to allow developing countries to follow their development trajectories.
• India has also sought the inclusion of financial and technical assistance, and technology transfer in the substantive provisions of any final treaty.
• On the exclusion of harmful chemicals used for plastic production, India has said that any decision should be based on scientific studies, and the regulation of such chemicals should be regulated domestically.
• There must also be an assessment of the financial resources needed for waste management as well as the availability of adequate, timely, and predictable financial resources.

What is Plastic and Microplastics? – The word plastic is derived from the Greek word plastikos, meaning “capable of being shaped or moulded.” – Plastic refers to a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient with their defining quality being their plasticity – the ability of a solid material to undergo permanent deformation in response to applied forces.  1. This makes them extremely adaptable, capable of being shaped as per requirement. – The basic building blocks of plastics are monomers, which are small molecules that can join together to form long chains called polymers through a process called polymerization.  – Microplastics: Plastics break down into their smaller units called microplastics – officially defined as plastics less than five millimetres in diameter.  1. These microplastics find their way across the planet, from the depths of the Pacific Ocean to the heights of the Himalayas. 2. According to the most recent global estimates, an average human consumes at least 50,000 microplastic particles annually due to contamination of the food chain, potable water, and air.

Plastic Waste by India

• India is presently the biggest contributor to plastic pollution in the world, and releases 9.3 million tonnes of plastic waste every year which is almost 20 per cent of the global generation of plastic waste.

India’s Efforts In Tackling Plastic Waste

• Ban on single-use plastics: India has banned the production, use, and sale of single-use plastics such as bags, cups, plates, cutlery, and straws in many states.
• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): The Indian government has implemented EPR, making plastic manufacturers responsible for managing and disposing of the waste generated by their products.
• Plastic Waste Management Rules: India introduced the Plastic Waste Management Rules in 2016, which provide a framework for managing plastic waste through various measures, including recycling and waste-to-energy initiatives.
• Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022: The guidelines on EPR(Extended Producer Responsibility) coupled with the prohibition of identified single-use plastic items.
  • It banned the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of carry bags made of virgin or recycled plastic less than seventy-five micrometers.
• India’s Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2024: It defines biodegradable plastics as not only capable of degradation by biological processes in specific environments but also as materials that do not leave any microplastics.
  • Rules specify that the makers of disposable plastic ware can label them as biodegradable only when they do not leave any microplastics behind.
• Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: The Indian government launched the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, a national cleanliness campaign, which includes the collection and disposal of plastic waste.
• Plastic Parks: The government has set up Plastic Parks, which are specialized industrial zones for recycling and processing plastic waste.
• Beach clean-up drives: The Indian government and various non-governmental organizations have organized beach clean-up drives to collect and dispose of plastic waste from beaches.
• India is a signatory to MARPOL (International Convention on Prevention of Marine Pollution).
• The “India Plastic Challenge – Hackathon 2021 
  • It is a unique competition calling upon start-ups /entrepreneurs and students of   Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to develop innovative solutions to mitigate plastic pollution and develop alternatives to single-use plastics.

Source: IE