From packaged food to disposable bottles. Plastic is a part of daily
life and plastic pollution, and it's harmful impact on humans and
wildlife continues to be a major environmental concern
of ours has the latest on an international effort aimed at eliminating
plastic waste.
Every minute and entire garbage truck worth of plastic waste is dumped
into the world's oceans. That's according to the United Nations Environment
program this week, the first ever global plastic pollution negotiations
kicked off in Uruguay. Representatives from 150 nations are meeting
with the goal of dramatically reducing or eliminating all plastic
pollution by 2040.
Meanwhile, in the US to Democratic lawmakers introduced a new bill
this week to help curtail the harmful impacts of plastic waste here
at home. The proposed legislation from Senator Cory Booker and Congressman
Jared Huffman would strengthen protections for frontline communities
hardest hit by plastic production and pollution. Joining us now is
Michael Birnbaum. He's a reporter at the Washington Post covering
climate and security, Michael, Welcome to the news hour and thank
you for joining us.
Thanks a lot for having me. So this summit these negotiations these
meetings the fact that 100 and 50 nations are taking part in these
right now, What does that tell you about the scale of the plastic
pollution problem right now? Well, there is a major plastic pollution
problem globally, And I think there's global acknowledgement that
it's a problem. No one is in favor of plastic pollution, even if
there are disagreements about what to do about it.
And so there is kind of increasing interest in
global effort, concerted and coordinated action to address plastic
pollution much in the same way that the world has come together to
address greenhouse gas emissions. What could that look like? In the
way of coordinated action? What are we likely to see in the way of
real actionable plans that come out of these meetings? They're still
very much in the beginning phase of talking about how to approach
the issue, But there are different things that
Countries can do. One thing is that they can set a global cap on
plastic production since a lot of people say you need to address
it at the source.
Another thing they can do is regulate the kinds of chemicals that
are going into plastic that could make it safer to produce and also
safer to recycle fewer toxins in the air. And then there are different
kinds of things they can do. Once you're done with plastic, actually
recycling it, or at least limiting the flows into the oceans, which
are really major problem and one that's getting worse. You mentioned
countries coming together on issues like greenhouse gas emissions,
but even then different
Nations view the issue very differently. So when it comes to plastic
pollution, what are some of the sticking points? One country? Saudi
Arabia was arguing in this gathering in Uruguay that you know plastics
are a great thing, and we shouldn't do too much to limit their production
because they have so many advantageous uses. Um most countries are
in favor of somewhat more aggressive action than that. There are
disagreements about whether countries should be
Focusing their energy on really kind of reducing pollution and what's
going into into waters or should they be thinking more about the
production process and reducing more at at at the outset, Michael
what about multinational corporations? Companies that work
In a number of different countries around the world. When you look
at the numbers and research from last year shows that just 20 multinational
companies are responsible for producing more than half 55% of all
single use plastic waste in the world. When it comes to regulation
there what can be done? Well, that's a really interesting question.
Multinational companies are represented right now in in in your a
grave, and there are some arguments from advocacy groups.
That there's no role for for those companies to take part in the
talks. They point to efforts to limit tobacco use in in in years
past and tobacco companies were excluded.
From those talks right now, I think there there is discussion about
you know, what can those companies due to? Um uh, limit the harms
that they're creating? And so that could be using different chemicals,
changing their production process or doing things to make it easier
to recycle plastics right now? Only about 10%.
Of plastics actually get recycled, knowing how big the plastic pollution
problem is across the world. What if they don't end up reaching some
kind of agreement? Right now? There are studies that estimate that
we are on track to triple the plastics going into the world's oceans
in the next 20 years. There's a lot of anxiety around this issue,
but a real sense that something does need to be done increased urgency
and looking at the problem a lot like the way that the world has
been looking at.
Global warming and greenhouse gas emissions. But there's still more
that's being done in a coordinated way now than a few years ago,
and so I think there's the expectation and hope.
That something similar will happen for plastics. That is Michael
Birnbaum, who covers climate and security for the Washington Post.