The process, current situation and future of global plastic pollution control

During the fourth meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for the Plastic Treaty, an event titled "Strengthening Global Plastic Pollution Reduction: Incorporating Implementation and Compliance into the Draft Plastic Treaty" was held at the University of Ottawa in Canada

As an important issue in today's global environmental governance, plastic pollution, especially marine pollution and microplastics, has shown an uncontrollable development trend, which means that the plastic problem can no longer be ignored by the international community. As of 2022, the world produces approximately 430 million tons of plastic annually, of which over two-thirds are disposable products that quickly become waste after use (OECD, 2023). Since the mid-20th century, the plastic chemical industry has experienced explosive growth, and to date, the world has produced approximately 9.2 billion tons of plastic, of which about 7 billion tons have become waste.

For most developing countries, the difficulty and economic cost of properly handling plastic waste remain high, with only 8% of plastic waste being recycled and the majority being landfilled or incinerated, with approximately 76% of waste directly leaking into the environment (UNEP, 2021). This trend has not been effectively curbed in the future, and if current production and consumption patterns continue, plastic production will triple by 2060 (Zheng, 2024). Plastic pollution not only puts pressure on the terrestrial environment, but marine litter is particularly concerning. According to statistics, in 2016, approximately 9 to 14 million tons of plastic waste entered aquatic ecosystems worldwide each year, and this number is expected to increase to 23 to 37 million tons per year by 2040. The direct consequence of this waste entering the ocean is a serious threat to marine life, leading to the destruction of the food chain. Disposable plastic products are considered one of the core issues of plastic pollution. The economic model of such products relies on a cycle of "rapid production rapid consumption rapid disposal", with little effect achieved through recycling systems, resulting in a large amount of waste accumulating in the natural environment. Currently, 36% of the plastic produced globally each year is used for packaging, with the majority being disposable and directly entering landfills or the environment. Materials such as foam plastics, which are difficult to degrade, have become one of the most challenging issues in global environmental governance.

In recent years, the international community has made many efforts to address the global plastic pollution problem. In 2022, the United Nations Environment Assembly passed a legally binding resolution, officially launching consultations on an international legal instrument to end plastic pollution worldwide. The fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5), which aims to develop a legally binding international instrument on plastic pollution, including plastic pollution in the marine environment, to be held in November 2024, will ultimately showcase this milestone legal document to the world. The history of global plastic pollution control can be traced back to the 1960s, when the international community began to pay attention to the pollution of the ocean caused by plastic waste. In 1972, the London Dumping Convention required countries to take measures to prevent the dumping of plastic waste into the ocean. Subsequently, in 1989, the Basel Convention incorporated plastic waste into the international management framework, regulating the cross-border transfer and disposal of plastic waste. In recent years, the United Nations and multiple countries have gradually strengthened their actions in marine plastic pollution and plastic waste management. For example, in 2017, the G20 launched the Marine Litter Action Plan, and after the amendment to the Basel Convention was passed in 2019, international management principles for plastic waste were further standardized.

Although the international community has made some progress in plastic pollution control, the challenges remain enormous. On the one hand, it is difficult to fundamentally change the production and consumption patterns of plastics in the short term, especially as the demand for plastic products remains strong. On the other hand, insufficient recycling and processing capacity leads to a large amount of plastic waste directly entering the environment. According to an analysis report by the United Nations Environment Programme, more than 60 countries around the world have implemented policies to restrict disposable plastic products, but the effectiveness of most countries' policies remains to be observed.

The author believes that the key to plastic pollution control lies in establishing a comprehensive management model throughout the entire lifecycle, from product design, production, use to waste disposal, for systematic management and recycling. In plastic waste management, priority should be given to reducing the source, followed by recycling, and finally achieving the final disposal of waste through harmless treatment. This lifecycle based management approach can effectively reduce the generation of plastic waste and mitigate the impact of plastic pollution on the environment and society. The main obstacles currently hindering the promotion of this management method are inconsistent actions among countries due to differences in capacity building, and poor response from the private sector due to high economic costs. We look forward to the INC-5 conference providing a feasible and controllable solution for international plastic pollution control.