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global plastics treaty
Most US Voters Want Plastics Industry Held Accountable for Recycling Deception: Poll
"No one is really OK with a corporation lying to consumers. What jumps out here is the overwhelming agreement among voters that it's deceptive and wrong for companies to label a product as recyclable when it's not."
Sep 09, 2024
Most U.S. voters would support officials in their state taking legal action against the plastics and fossil fuel industries for creating plastic pollution, based on evidence that they misled the public about the viability of recycling their products, according to a poll released Monday.
The poll, conducted by Data for Progress and the Center for Climate Integrity, follows a report CCI released in February that showed decades of industry deception about the recyclability of plastics and a yearslong, ongoing investigation by the California attorney general, which could lead to a lawsuit.
The poll indicates that 70% of voters support such a lawsuit and even 54% of Republicans do so.
"Regardless of your politics, no one is really OK with a corporation lying to consumers," Davis Allen, a CCI researcher, said in a statement. "What jumps out here is the overwhelming agreement among voters that it's deceptive and wrong for companies to label a product as recyclable when it's not."
Allen's colleague Alyssa Johl, a CCI vice president, argued that the poll bolsters the case that attorneys general should pursue lawsuits against industry for its role in creating plastic waste and deceiving the public about recycling.
"As we're watching to see what comes from California's investigation, it's clear that the public is very concerned about the plastic waste crisis and would support holding Big Oil and the plastics industry accountable for the fraud of plastic recycling," she said. "Any attorney general or public official who is considering action on this issue should know that both the law and public opinion are on their side."
📣 New poll from us & @DataProgress:
The vast majority of U.S. voters — including 54% of Republicans — support legal action against Big Oil & the plastics industry for lying about the viability of plastic recycling and causing the plastic waste crisis. https://t.co/YFjmxzeOYT pic.twitter.com/0oHAMHPtem
— Center for Climate Integrity (@climatecosts) September 9, 2024
The survey, conducted on 1,231 web panel respondents, also included a number of other plastics-related questions. More than two-thirds of respondents, after being prompted with information during the course of the survey, said the plastics industry should have "a great deal of responsibility" to address the plastic crisis, while 59% said the same about the fossil fuel industry. The industries are in fact connected; almost all plastics are made out of fossil fuels.
More than 60% of respondents strongly agreed—and 85% agreed at least "somewhat"—that it was deceptive to put the "chasing arrows" symbol on products that were not in fact recyclable. California restricted the practice with a 2021 law, and the Federal Trade Commission is revising its guidelines following recommendations issued last year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which said the use of the symbol can be "deceptive or misleading."
The poll showed that Americans tend to overestimate the amount of plastic being recycled. The average respondent guessed that about 45% of plastic gets recycled, when in fact a 2021 Greenpeace report indicated that the real figure is about 6%.
Despite the negative impacts of plastic waste, plastic production continues to increase worldwide. About 220 million tons of plastic waste are expected to be generated this year alone. Last week, a study in Nature, a leading journal, estimated global plastic waste emissions at about 52 million metric tons per year.
Recycling plastic is logistically challenging because many products are made of composites of different types of plastic and because the quality of the material goes down with each generation of use.
The poll comes out during the final stages of negotiations on a global plastics treaty, which has been in the works for several years. Ahead of United Nations General Assembly meetings this week, a group of celebrities including Bette Midler called for strong action on plastics in an open letter published by Greenpeace.
The final global plastics treaty negotiations will be held in Busan, South Korea starting November 25. The previous major round of negotiations, in April, was dominated by corporate lobbyists, advocates said. Activists and Indigenous leaders were also left out of a smaller meeting in Thailand last month, drawing criticism.
The call for accountability for plastics producers comes as the fossil fuel industry already faces legal action for its role in perpetuating the climate crisis. Dozens of cities and states have filed suits. None has yet reached the trial stage. The one that is closest to doing so, City and County of Honolulu v. Sunoco et al., has been the subject of political and legal wrangling, with the industry trying to have the suit dismissed.
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Shut Out of Treaty Summit, Campaigners Call for Elimination of Plastic Sachets
"Plastic pollution is a global crisis, fueled by our addiction to single-use plastics," said one organizer.
Aug 23, 2024
Amid concerns over the exclusion of Indigenous leaders, environmental advocates, and scientists from a four-day summit beginning Saturday in Bangkok to help advance a global plastics treaty, campaigners on Friday called on the political leaders and experts who will be in attendance to develop "robust criteria" to eliminate single-use plastics by drastically cutting down on their production.
Break Free From Plastic (BFFP) led a call for delegates, who will represent United Nations member states, to focus the talks on single-use plastics like sachets—small, sealed pouches and packets that have flooded markets in Asia and much of the Global South as businesses see them as affordable and convenient.
"Plastic pollution is a global crisis, fueled by our addiction to single-use plastics," said Von Hernandez, global coordinator of BFFP. "The solution is clear: Eliminate these nonessential products and reinstate reuse and refill systems which have been in place before our markets were overwhelmed with sachets and other disposable plastics."
A 2020 report by GAIA found that sachets account for an estimated 52% of the residual plastic waste stream and increasingly "defile the natural landscape, choke waterways, harm wildlife, and threaten livelihoods like tourism and fisheries."
Multinational corporations that sell fast-moving consumer goods like soda, chewing gum, and over-the-counter medications are major contributors to what GAIA called the "sachet economy," which has led to one of the most common types of plastic pollution in Africa and Southeast Asia.
"It is essential to reject the empty promises of petrochemical and fossil fuel industries who pursue profit over our collective welfare and avoid ineffective technologies like plastic credits and chemical recycling."
Tara Buakamsri, country director for Greenpeace Thailand, expressed hope that the Thai government will use the upcoming meeting as a "once-in-a-generation opportunity to end the plastic crisis by championing a global plastics treaty that limits production and bans single-use plastics."
"It is essential to reject the empty promises of petrochemical and fossil fuel industries who pursue profit over our collective welfare and avoid ineffective technologies like plastic credits and chemical recycling," said Buakamsri.
The meeting is the latest step in a treaty process that began in 2022, when countries agreed to hold talks hammering out the first legally binding treaty to stop plastic pollution.
The final treaty negotiations are set for November 25-December 1 in Busan, South Korea.
At the meeting in Bangkok, policymakers aim to "identify criteria for plastic products, chemicals, and product design, as well as potential sources and means of implementation for a plastics treaty, including financial mechanisms," according to BFFP.
But civil society groups have denounced the U.N. for including in the talks only two dozen invited technical experts and members of national delegations—who include plastic and oil industry representatives, in the case of countries such as China and Iran.
Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, executive secretary for the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC), told campaigners in a letter last month that countries had not agreed to allow observers to participate in the talks.
"Civil society and rights holders, including Indigenous peoples, must be recognized as essential stakeholders," said Dharmesh Shah of the Civil Society and Rights Holder Coalition on Plastics Treaty. "We are deeply disappointed that the INC Secretariat and [U.N. Environment Program] have not shifted their stance on observer participation despite multiple representations from the civil society and rights holders groups."
"The exclusion of these constituencies," added Shah, "disregards the fundamental human right to participation in environmental decision-making, a right that is vital for ensuring that the voices of all stakeholders, especially those most affected, are heard and respected."
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Treaty Negotiations Should See Plastics for What They Are: an Ocean Justice Crisis
Much like the case of climate change, those who bear the worst impacts of plastics gain the fewest benefits from their production or use.
May 05, 2024
As the fourth negotiating session on the United Nations plastics treaty comes to a close, pressing questions loom: Will world leaders finalize a robust agreement by the end of this year that effectively halts plastic pollution at its source? Despite the fortitude of countries within the High Ambition Coalition like Rwanda and Peru, negotiations on the agenda of intersessional work leading up to the final session in November in Busan, Korea, left the crucial aspect of reducing plastic production off the table.
Divergence surrounding the root causes of plastic pollution was ignited by the overwhelming presence of the fossil fuel and chemical industry. And their impact was not hard to miss, with pro-plastic campaigners outside the Shaw Center where negotiations were held and nearly 200 lobbyists registering for the talks, even joining country delegations, according to a Center for International Environmental Law analysis. Their influence is far-reaching. Notably, the U.S., being the world’s largest contributor to plastic waste, has not taken a stance on production.
The full plastic lifecycle—from creation to waste—represents an ocean justice crisis.
I conveyed this message on Earth Day during a youth coalition meeting with U.S. Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Welch (D-Vt.), and Representative Jared Huffman (D-Calif.). I advocated for the negotiators to prioritize increasing protections for human rights and ocean health by centering justice.
Despite widespread discussions on the environmental and human health risks of plastics, there is still a noticeable gap in recognizing the interconnected injustices they perpetuate—though the Global Youth Coalition on Plastic Pollution and Indigenous Peoples’ Caucus were adamant about these connections in their plenary statements. While plastics impact everyone—microplastics are in our air, food, water, soil, and bodies, even human placentas—disproportionate negative impacts occur across race, occupation, ethnicity, class, gender, and age.
Outside the plastics context, voices like Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson have brought justice to the forefront of ocean conservation, while Leah Thomas is the leading activist for Intersectional Environmentalism. As a Gen Z advocate deeply immersed in ocean advocacy, in my view, this is what the plastics conversation still needs: utilizing an intersectional approach to shed light on how the full plastic lifecycle—from creation to waste—represents an ocean justice crisis.
Ocean Health
Upon returning from the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-4), I went to the beach for rest and was, paradoxically, as usual, immediately picking up plastic waste. And still, I acknowledge my privileged position–that ocean currents are naturally not bringing as much pollution to the North Carolina coast as they are to vulnerable island countries. Each year 11 million metric tons of plastic enter the seas, devastating wildlife, contaminating seafood, and polluting beaches. But, those most severely affected are often the least culpable: island countries, Indigenous Peoples, and the Global South. This pollution is compounded by the plastic loads high GDP countries export to the Global South, a trend called “waste colonialism.”
Undeniably, the ocean is profoundly impacted by plastic pollution, evident in the vast gyres twice the size of Texas and the grim prediction that by 2050, 99% of seabirds will have ingested plastics.
Not only does this pollution entangle marine life and release toxic chemicals, scientists are beginning to worry it is threatening the ability of the ocean to sequester carbon. Zooplankton are microscopic animals that are now replacing their plant diet with microplastics, and this trend on a large scale is hypothesized to hinder the release of carbon to the deep sea.
Human Rights
Despite widespread support by countries for including human rights in the plastics treaty, there are no obligations to protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples, of informal waste pickers whose livelihoods depend on plastic collection, or of anyone. In a report, Earth Law Center reviewed nearly 400 statements across 175 member states to the INC and mapped support by country. Unsurprisingly, regions across the Global South experiencing the brunt of plastic pollution and human rights injustices demonstrated the highest support.
Right now, the word “justice” is not in the plastics treaty text at all.
Many people don’t know not to microwave plastic. Just as many are not aware that there are 16,000 chemicals associated with plastics and over 1 in 4 are hazardous to people. Or that microplastics are found in human blood and we don’t know the consequences yet. However, this awareness is largely not the fault of the public. The plastic industry intentionally keeps us in the dark, having us thinking that plastic is non-toxic and safe to use, and even fooling us that recycling is the end-all solution. Banning and phasing out concerning chemicals and single-use plastics while increasing plastic literacy is key to protecting human rights, ensuring industries are transparent, and empowering everyone to make informed decisions.
Justice
According to U.N. Environment Program, the plastic lifecycle is a barrier to every Sustainable Development Goal. Without immediate action to reduce plastic production, we risk our chance to keep the 1.5°C target within reach. Much like the case of climate change, those who bear the worst impacts of plastics gain the fewest benefits from their production or use. Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities are disproportionately harmed by toxic chemicals and emissions from unfair proximity to petrochemical and incineration facilities. Women and people who menstruate are exposed to microplastics within period products. The bottom line is plastics exacerbate inequities and harm those most vulnerable among us.
Right now, the word “justice” is not in the plastics treaty text at all. As the outcomes of negotiations unfold, I hope that plastics will be reframed as what they truly are: an ocean justice crisis. The treaty, slated for finalization by the end of 2024, represents a pivotal opportunity to safeguard human rights and address injustice. There are undeniable implications for people, the ocean, and truly, the planet at stake.
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