Strict Legislative Measures Crucial To Reduce 7 Bln Tonnes Plastic Waste: Experts

ISLAMABAD, Feb 1 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Feb, 2023 ) :The seven billion tonnes of plastic from the aggregate 9 billion tons produced since the 1950s was still circulating in the environment in various forms, in landfills, dumps and aquatic bodies making it one of the most pertinent contemporary challenges demanding strict legislative measures to contain the risk.

These remarks were made by Chairperson, board of Governors, Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Ambassador(R) Dr Shafqat Kakakhel. He was speaking at a distinguished guest lecture on "Environmental Governance in addressing Plastic pollution and the role of CSOs (civil society organisations)" with Executive Director, UNEP, Inger Andersen organised by SDPI here on Wednesday.

He informed that UNEP currently was spearheading momentous initiatives for preventing further increase and potentially ruling back the hazardous plastic pollution as a consequence of the industrial revolution. He appreciated the efforts of UNEP and the World Environment Assembly had called for the establishment of inter-governmental negotiations for developing a legally binding instrument for plastic pollution particularly pollution of the marine environment by 2024.

Kakakhel said that Pakistan was also confronted by the evil of the industrial revolution and despite drives in major cities to control and minimise the use of micro and macro-plastics, so far no remarkable progress was achieved.

Executive Director of UNEP said that the use of plastic has enabled ease in day-to-day activities and stressed that "UNEP is not anti-plastic but anti-plastic in the environment". She stressed that each year 400 million tons of plastic products were generated, out of which 300 million tons end up in the global wastebasket recklessly, making it a challenge for the environment.

Inger emphasised that once the plastic is part of economy, it should be "kept in the cycle" rather than being used once and then disposed to waste where it ends up in landfills, marine and water bodies and in urban poor areas.

She informed that "Pakistan was the second largest domestic market for plastic with a very limited recycling potential of 18% and only 3% plastic was recycled in Pakistan.

" Highlighting the extensive infiltration of plastic in our lives and the entire value chain, she urged, "We must be part of the solution and have a shared responsibility, particularly businesses using plastic packaging for goods but also even in different stages during transit." She underlined the responsibility of brands and consumers to reduce, reuse, recycle and refuse by rethinking packaging and how it is delivered to consumers.

Andersen stressed on the role of civil society in advocacy, generating scientific data and building awareness to reduce plastic waste in the environment. She urged that as strides were made in that regard, "we must think of garbage collectors, especially young children engaged in the trade must not be left behind and should be provided alternative, safe, decent livelihoods and sustainable incomes." Inger called for stringent legislation to govern the plastic content to reduce waste and improve recycling and extend producer guarantees. She added that even if plastic was mechanically or chemically recycled, "we must consider that it does not come without cost and chemical recycling particularly has a huge carbon footprint." Responding to questions, she said that stringent regulations, awareness regarding content and chemistry of plastic and incentivisation were critical for reducing plastic waste and informed that 36 countries in Africa had banned single-use plastics and public awareness was very high in deterring the use of plastics.

Addressing the financing gap, she said that strict public enforcement will catalyze action from the private sector to increase recycling and discourage the use of virgin plastics.

She stressed that when the cost of plastic use for businesses would be increased, private sector would find and mobilize resources themselves. She informed that 65% of global plastic waste was single use while only 35% is recycled which must be increased and the trans-boundary dumping of waste though illegal was still a pertinent issue which calls for increase in vigilance and finding solutions to the plastic challenge rather than pushing it to different locations.