Bisola David
The United Nations have outlined how countries can reduce plastic pollution by up to 80 percent by 2040.
According to Arab News, a research released on Monday by the UN Environment Programme showed that countries can do this by employing current technologies and enacting significant policy changes.
Two weeks before countries gather in Paris for a second round of discussions to draft a global treaty to eliminate plastic waste, the UN group with its headquarters in Kenya presented its analysis of policy possibilities to address the plastic waste epidemic.
The paper focused on three key market changes that must occur in order to establish a “circular” economy that keeps manufactured goods in use for as long as possible: reuse, recycling, and a shift away from plastic packaging toward packaging made of other materials.
According to UNEP, encouraging reuse initiatives like deposit return programs or refillable bottle systems could cut plastic waste by 30% by 2040.
Additionally, it states that substituting compostable materials for items like plastic wrap and sachets could result in a reduction of an additional 17 percent by that year.
It added that recycling could also achieve an additional 20 percent by the same year if “it becomes a more stable and profitable venture” and fossil fuel subsidies are eliminated.
Different countries have adopted various strategies to combat plastic waste. Some major producers of plastic, including Saudi Arabia and the United States, prefer a network of national strategies.
Given the limited amount of time between now and 2040, according to UNEP, “sub-optimal solutions” will need to be utilized to deal with that garbage, even though more research is required to assess the effects of increasing greenhouse gas emissions or air pollutants.
According to the Policy Director at the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, Dr. Neil Tangri, “Not only does this pose a serious threat to the climate and public health, but it also undercuts the main objective of the global plastic treaty putting a cap on plastic production.”
