A future free of plastic pollution
In late April, the world took another step towards a future free of plastic pollution. Delegates from 175 countries across the world came together in Ottowa, Canada, for the 4th round of United Nations talks on a global treaty to tackle plastic pollution. There were positive signals coming from discussions, as focus shifted to the treaty text itself.
However, anti-plastic campaigners also warned that this year representation of lobbyists from petro-chemical companies and plastic giants was at an all-time high, potentially reducing the likelihood of a far-reaching agreement. A clear dividing line was also evident between those countries who produce plastic, and those who are ambitious on tackling waste, according to the chair of the UN intergovernmental negotiations.
UN Plastic Pollution Treaty
In November, talks will reconvene for a 5th and final session in the city of Busan, South Korea, with the aim of agreeing an international legally binding treaty on plastic pollution. There will be a particular focus on the marine environment, given between 19 and 23 million metric tonnes of plastic enter the ocean every year, according to our long-standing partners the Whale and Dolphin Conservation.
Given the scale of the plastic pollution crisis, the UN’s treaty needs to be ambitious, far reaching and long term. We need both supply and demand side change to stem the tide of plastic pollution. With many actively seeking to stall progress and continue pumping out harmful levels of plastic, countries must remain firm.
Culture of reuse and refill
If countries are successful at agreeing a legally binding target to reduce plastic production at the final round of talks in South Korea in November - it will be akin to a Paris Agreement for plastic pollution. We will then need to see governments like the UK do more to mainstream a culture of reuse and refill to help citizens reach for reusables. Data shows that recycling isn't the silver bullet for single use plastics and a mix of solutions is required.
The current Government to its credit has been a global leader in banning a range of single-use plastic items – from polluting plastic micro-beads to plastic cutlery and most recently wet wipes containing plastic. We’ve also heard encouraging signals recently from Shadow Environment Secretary Steve Reed MP that, if elected, a Labour Government would aim for the UK to be a zero-waste economy by 2050.
Our thoughts
At BRITA, we’re committed to finding solutions to help the UK in meeting any future targets under the UN Plastic Pollution Treaty and reach zero waste by 2050, which is why we’ve partnered with the LTA. Through this first-of-a-kind partnership, BRITA will be the official water sponsor at some of the UK’s highest-profile tennis tournaments, from Queens to Eastbourne, replacing single-use plastic water bottles with sustainable refillable bottles. Sports tournaments have a long history of sponsorship from bottled water companies, and we’re determined to show there’s a more sustainable way to stay hydrated. A simple swap to refillable bottles at tournaments such as Queen’s, has the potential to slash up to 100,000 plastic bottles, with significant environmental benefits.
From smaller-scale solutions to international treaties, by focusing on reduce and reuse we could turn off the tap on the plastic pollution crisis.
