Two thirds of the more than 430 million tons of plastic produced annually are discarded as waste after only one use. According to data from the Ocean Conservatory, on top of the estimated 200 million metric tons of plastics that already pass through our marine environments, eleven million metric tons of plastics enter our ocean alone each year. Plastic Pollution
According to Nikola Simpson, head of the UNDP’s Barbados and Eastern Caribbean Blue Economy Accelerator Lab, by midcentury, the ocean will contain more plastic than fish due to current production rates.
She states, “We just keep producing plastic, plastic, plastic.”
To prevent such a disastrous future, the UN Environment Programme is committed to assisting the global community. In “Turning off the Tap: How the world can end plastic pollution and create a circular economy,” a new report from UNEP lays out a plan to cut plastic waste worldwide by 80% in the next 20 years.
Here are five reasons why reducing plastic pollution is so important, along with suggestions for how each of us can help save the environment for future generations.
1. PLASTIC AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE (Plastic Polution)
Plastic is found everywhere, from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch to the Arctic and the Philippines. It comes in many shapes and sizes, ranging from plastic fishing nets to single-use goods like trash bags and water bottles.
Five million shipping containers could be filled with plastic debris from the ocean. Stated differently, there is an amount of plastic in the ocean that, if lined up end to end, would span 30,000 kilometers (18,640 miles). That is the same as traveling from Sydney, Australia, to New York City.
Furthermore, plastic doesn’t biodegrade at all; instead, it just fragments over time into ever-tinier pieces, giving rise to what are known as micro- or nanoplastics.
2. PLASTICS AFFECT OUR ECOSYSTEMS AND HEALTH
Microplastics and nanoplastics, despite their small size, are extremely dangerous to both human health and the health of important ecosystems.
Besada says, “These microplastics come with a lot of different chemicals that get absorbed and act as little sponges.” “All of these have an impact on our health system and may change our hormone levels.”
Additionally, they penetrate and contaminate every aspect of the earth, from commonplace items like our clothes and laundry to amazing locations like the top of Mount Everest or the ocean’s depths.
“There’s no such thing as ‘away,’ because everything must go somewhere,” Simpson asserts when it comes to disposing of plastic. It’s in your clothes, credit card, phone, and clothes. It now runs in your family.
Some of the plastics have been connected to potentially being cancerous when considering “the human health impacts of plastics,” the speaker continues.
Not only are humans suffering from Plastic Pollution, but ocean ecosystems are also being negatively impacted. According to Besada, research on plastics’ effects on animal reproduction has major ramifications for communities that depend on these ecosystems for their livelihoods as well as for our food chain.
3. REUSE, RECYCLE, REORIENTE TO TAKE DOWN PLASTIC POLLUTION
Reaching UNEP’s ambitious target of 80% plastic waste reduction in the next 20 years is entirely doable. Three changes in the market will allow us as consumers to make the necessary, affordable, and achievable changes.
The first step, according to UNEP’s “Turning off the Tap” report, is to get rid of common plastics that are needless, like excessive packaging. The report makes several recommendations, some of which include using refillable bottles again and again, improving recycling, and switching to more environmentally friendly options.
“It would be very beneficial if we could lower production. Hopefully, as our behavior changes more, we will either use different options or return to our previous habits,” says Simpson.
“We need to determine which plastics we still need, and we need to improve the infrastructure for recycling,” Besada continues. Recycling is not going to be enough to solve this issue.
Furthermore, not all plastics are created equal. Therefore, it’s crucial to determine what kinds of materials can be recycled and where. Recycling isn’t always the best option, as Besada explains, for a number of social, cultural, economic, and infrastructure-related reasons.
Reorientation and diversification—the report’s term for switching to less environmentally damaging plastic substitutes—would be beneficial, though.
4. AWAY FROM PLASTICS TRANSITION REDUCES COSTS AND GENERATES JOBS
According to UNEP’s report, circularity in plastics, or simply using plastics more efficiently, could save $4.5 trillion in environmental and social costs in the next 17 years. Businesses dealing with waste management are estimated to face an annual financial risk of $100 billion.
By 2024, the shift would also generate hundreds of thousands of new jobs, revenue, and innovative opportunities. According to the report, this translates into 700,000 more jobs and better living conditions for millions of workers in developing nations who are directly impacted by short-lived plastics.
However, by 2040, managing 100 million metric tons of plastics from short-lived products annually will require a great deal of work. According to the report, countries with 227 million tons of plastic management versus 40 million tons will be left in the dark if government policies fail to support the shift away from plastic production and overconsumption.
According to Besada, “every person uses 45 kilograms, which I think is 90 [to a 100] pounds of plastic per year,” because plastic packaging is used almost everywhere.
5. HE WORLD IS SEEKING TO END PLASTIC POLLUTION
According to Simpson, who worked on the treaty’s drafting, the United Nations Environment Assembly’s fifth session in March 2022 saw a historic decision where all 193 UN Member States decided to end plastic pollution through a legally binding agreement by the end of the following year.
Besada points out that during the ongoing negotiating process, all voices and stakeholders must have equitable representation and strive toward bipartisanship. The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee recently held its second session in Paris.
Apart from the actions taken by the government, UNEP emphasizes the significance of campaigns to increase advocacy and awareness. Communities and individuals alike must keep raising awareness of the need to stop plastic pollution and putting their moral principles into action by lending support to companies that are working to cut back on the amount of single-use plastics in their supply chains.
Anyone is welcome to take part. Locally, anyone can have an impact. Anyone can increase the scope of their advocacy work.
