Life of Plastic: Uruguay talks inch towards last two days; final decision still awaited
- December 1, 2022
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Life of Plastic: Uruguay talks inch towards last two days; final decision still awaited
Subject : Environment
In the news-
- Representatives from 175 countries endorsed a landmark resolution on plastic pollution at the United Nations Environment Assembly.
- As a result, an intergovernmental negotiating committee (INC-1) was formed for the negotiations and the first round of negotiations on a global treaty to end plastic pollution in Uruguay’s Punta Del Este is about to end.
Breakout groups were formed and their respective discussions were:
- Eliminating and designing for circularity (SG1 and SG2)
- Circularity in practice (SG3)
- Waste minimisation and remediation (SG4)
- The eliminating and designing for circularity (SG1 and SG2) group demanded-
- The definition of terms like ‘toxic’, ‘circularity’ and other frequently used terminologies.
- Standardisation in product design and the need for financing through schemes similar to extended producer responsibility.
- The need for capacity-building.
- The circularity in practice (SG3) group demanded-
- The role of the private sector on plastic pollution issues be defined
- The establishment of infrastructure for sound plastic waste management.
- The waste minimisation and remediation (SG4) group said compostable plasticsshould not be regulated.
The online forum discussions laid emphasis on:
- The importance of monitoring and tracking, with clear, numerical, and verifiable targets.
- The need for behavioural changes of consumers.
- The need for a holistic approach to plastic pollution.
- Participation in small island developing states, coastal communities, the Global South, and children and youth.
- The need for transparency and accountability.
- Closed loops and caps on production.
- Controls on waste exports.
- Fit-for-purpose infrastructure.
- Taxation on virgin plastics and burning.
- Extended Producer Responsibility.
- Bans on unrecyclable and single-use plastics.
- Harmonised design and reuse of plastics.
Major successes are-
- Focus on the precautionary principle and polluter pays principle
- Just transition for waste pickers.
- A group of friends of waste-pickers, a voluntary body made up of representatives of member states worldwide, was formed to ensure that waste-pickers are heard at the INC.
Major drawbacks-
- National action plans should not have had mandatory obligations.
- Chemical recycling was still being pushed as a viable solution despite the high failure rate.
- Industry was inclined towards voluntary action instead of mandates. Governments and industries focus on technology as a solution to the crisis.
Lack of representation-
- The stakeholder forum was attended by 1,800 participants.
- Dominated by Europe (24 per cent), followed by Asia-Pacific (21 per cent).
- Non-profits and governments formed almost three-fourths of the stakeholder groups while there was an eight per cent representation from the industries involved across the plastic value chain.
- Some groups opposed the presence of companies majorly responsible for plastic pollution.