Hello folks,

I came across this news article which reported about how the UN is heading towards a treaty regarding plastics. Below are a few highlights of the treaty.

  • Negotiators are hammering out the framework for a legally binding plastic treaty that diplomats say is the most ambitious environmental pact since the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change.
  • Include caps on the production of new plastic, redesigning products to make recycling easier or less harmful, and phasing out single-use items.
  • Two of the treaty proposals adopt a “source to sea” approach: targeting not just trash in oceans and landfill, but also pollution caused by manufacturing new plastic from fossil fuels.

Even though this seems like a positive step in the right direction, the article also went on to mention how plastic giants would try to steer talks from firm commitments intended to push companies into making less plastic. Nevertheless, I feel that having a legally binding treaty would create an impetus for more change to take place.

Do you think these treaties are enough in curbing the issue of plastic pollution?