Following a breakthrough at the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi earlier this year, Heads of State, Ministers of environment and other representatives came together to endorse a historic resolution to end plastic pollution worldwide. The resolution, based on three drafts from various nations, established an ‘Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee’, which has set to work with the ambition of creating a global, legally binding agreement to come into force by the end of 2024. To the relief of environmental campaigners, the treaty will address the full plastics lifecycle from design, to production, manufacturing, logistics, reuse and finally, disposal. The wide-ranging nature of the agreement was met with international praise, summed up by Inger Andersen, the Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme, who said the deal marked ‘a triumph by planet earth over single-use plastics’. Details of the framework are set to be decided through a series of meetings over the next two years, until which the UN has encouraged nations to voluntarily reduce their plastic production as much as possible.
Tackling Plastic Pollution
At BRITA, we welcome the UN Treaty on Plastic Pollution as a crucial turning point in the international effort to curb single-use plastics, which are having a detrimental impact on our planet and its ecosystem. We know that as a global community we need to move away from single-use and towards reuse, which is why we’re proud that by 2025 we will have replaced over 6.5 billion plastic bottles of water, whilst at the same time saving over 1 million tonnes of CO2 through our reusable water filter products. But we’re also going further on our sustainability mission. We want our supply chain to have the lowest environmental impact possible, so we’re working to ensure our packaging is 100% recyclable and free from virgin plastics, as well as encouraging uptake of our filter recycling programme and introducing more sustainable materials into our products. Watch this space!
How marine life is affected by plastic pollution
Sadly, marine life looks set to continue to be hit particularly hard by the ever-growing plastic pollution problem, and we want to play our part in protecting the ocean. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), 11 million tonnes of plastic waste flow into our oceans annually, a figure worryingly expected to triple by 2040. In further bad news for marine life, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, champions of the UN’s plastic pollution treaty, have revealed that without drastic action there could be more plastic than fish in the sea by 2050. In light of this, BRITA UK remains committed to our long-term partnership with Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), including our founding partnership of the Climate Giant Project. Together with WDC, we’re raising awareness around the importance of keeping our oceans clean, so that species like whales, who can help in the fight against climate change, continue to be protected.
Protect the planet for the future
Plastic pollution has found its way to every corner of the planet, from seas to mountains to cities, which is why only a globally coordinated response and meaningful partnerships can address this pressing problem. With worldwide cooperation, we can put a stop to the ever-increasing production of harmful single-use plastic and move towards a sustainable circular economy with reuse at its heart. As the world faces the triple threat of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, the UN Treaty on Plastic Pollution must be bold, innovative and have a long-term lens to ensure we protect the planet for the future.
