Takeaways from the first global plastic pollution treaty

Take a moment to consider the plastic pollution issue the world is dealing with today. The volume of plastic pollution on our land and in our oceans has been an ongoing issue since the 1960s, with an estimated 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic debris in our oceans alone. The treaty announcement is a critical one and all industry sectors should take notice.

It takes on average 450 years for a single plastic bottle to degrade. But, even when plastic waste does eventually degrade, it still leaves behind harmful micro-plastic particles that continue to pollute the environment and are ingested by marine life, and often even by us in our food. In addition, these particles also emit carbon dioxide, which is a harmful greenhouse gas, further releasing toxic content into the land and water.

Unfortunately, the Food, Beverage, Packaging, Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) and Packaging industries have contributed significantly to this pollution over the past decades, and will need to play an important role in addressing the full lifecycle of plastics in the future.

I’m not saying that major food, beverage and FMCG brands have intentionally taken on the task of plastic polluters; that it was some dastardly plan to fill our land and oceans with single use plastic utensils, bags and wrappers. 

The sad truth is that while many of these products are recyclable, the countries that they are being sold into, and consumed within, lack the necessary chemical and mechanical recycling infrastructure to process this complex waste stream, so without the available means to recycle the plastic, it ends up being burnt, thrown into landfills or finding its way into our oceans. We must also recognize the important role that waste management organizations and local government municipalities play in increasing the volume of recycled plastics in the future.

Learn more about the role of packaging and plastics in sustainable food production.

Well, the first is that important changes are coming that will affect every industry sector that uses plastic, from the production of plastic flakes, plastic pellets and nurdles, to the molding of plastic bottles and bottling companies, all will be required to increase the use of recycled plastics rather than the continued use of virgin plastics. Embracing this positive change will go a long way in improving the way that we manage our resources, and improving the bottom line for many industries and organizations.

Getting it wrong is an expensive exercise. These words from W. Edwards Deming, renowned engineer, statistician and professor, have never been more relevant, “It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.” This quote has been used in the past to great effect in helping organizations to understand the value of change; however, this quote is being used today on an even larger scale to reflect on our future and survival on this planet.

The second key takeaway is that we must look at innovative ways of effectively removing the plastic pollution currently in our environment, to ensure that the recovered plastic is recycled back into the circular economy. This requires a significant amount of work in developing the necessary mechanical and molecular recycling infrastructure, that in many parts of the world is not at an optimum level, or in most cases, does not exist at all.

We must also amplify the economic value and commercial advantages of investing in a more circular economy, as many business leaders are tasked with the financial performance and sustainability of their organisation, instead of the environmental impact of their operations and products. Consider the history of the circular economy, which was originally introduced as a concept to maximise material use and flow, with a primary focus on economic growth and a secondary focus on environmental impact and resource use. We will still achieve the same goal, however, we must use the right language, benefits and results with a diverse group of industry contacts, some will be motivated by improving the health of our planet for their future generations, whilst others will be motivated by the economic advantages of circularity and minimising environmental impacts.

United Nations member states will come together to create an intergovernmental negotiating committee to begin working on an internationally legally binding agreement on plastic pollution; the goal is to complete this important step by the end of 2024. In line with this work, environmental groups are calling for harmonized and effective global standards that incentivize nations to stick to a common set of rules and regulations over plastics, while penalizing harmful products and practices, which is an area that BSI will continue to support industry with moving forward.

So, the announcement of a legally binding treaty, that will be used between countries, is the first of many steps to force positive change in how governments and industries recycle plastic and clean up the existing plastic pollution from our land and oceans.

Neil Coole is a BSI subject matter expert, with more than 24 years of experience working in standards development, testing, inspection and certification. He is an experienced presenter on the important topic of sustainability; sharing best practices and existing ESG solutions available for industries to use. Neil supports the development of standards by convening subject matter experts from industry, academia, trade associations and government and once developed, supports organizations in making use of these harmonized, best practice frameworks. 

Neil is passionate about leveraging standards to effect positive change, helping organizations embed sustainable practices, and empowering their suppliers to prove their promise towards their ESG goals and commitments.