As the level of production and consumption of plastic rises, the negative impacts on the environment grow. Every year the world produces approximately 430 million tons of plastic, with an expected growth rate of 4% per annum. The production and consumption of plastics have poisoned and polluted waterways. Plastic pollution endangers the survival of marine and land animals, which in turn damage ocean ecosystems. It is estimated that by 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by weight.
There are many ways that plastic ends up in the ocean. One of the most common ways is through littering, dumping, and storm water runoff that carries plastic debris from streets, sidewalks, and landfills into storm water drains, which discharge into rivers and streams that eventually end up in the ocean.
From 1950 to 2017, almost 10 billion tones of plastic were produced. The issue of marine plastic pollution, including litter and microplastics, began to gain international attention in the early 2000s. UNEP played a crucial role in raising awareness about marine plastic pollution when it published a report in 2011 titled “Marine Litter: A Global Challenge,” which highlighted the need for international action to address the issue. Then in 2012, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, also known as the Rio+20 Summit made marine plastic litter a priority issue moving forward. . A few years later, the United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, which included Goal 14: “Life Below Water.” Target 14.1 specifically addresses the reduction of marine pollution, including plastic litter. At the first meeting of the UN Environment Assembly in 2014, “Marine Plastic Litter and Microplastics” was considered an emerging global environmental problem. The resolution recognized how the inappropriate management and disposal of plastic affects the marine environment, natural resources, fisheries, tourism, and the economy as well as the potential risks it poses to human health. Subsequent sessions of UNEA continued to discuss and adopt resolutions related to marine plastic litter and microplastics. These resolutions called for action, research, and cooperation at the international level and established an expert group to enhance the creation of a global framework to deal with marine litter and microplastics.
All these efforts culminated in 2022 in the adoption of a resolution calling on Member States to end plastic pollution. An Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) is developing a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, with the aim of having it finalized by the end of 2024. Talks within the INC have focused on measures considering the entire life cycle of plastics, from extraction and product design to production to waste management, enabling opportunities to reduce waste before it is created as part of a circular economy.
Despite efforts and progress, eliminating marine plastic litter and microplastics will be challenging in light of the fact that. production and consumption are expected to accelerate with no regard for the present and the future. UNEA delegates will need to think beyond the already provided solutions and find innovative solutions on the international, regional, and sub-regional levels to safeguard the environment for future generations.
