Last week, the sixth attempt since 2022 by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to get member-nations to agree upon a treaty to address plastic pollution ran into the familiar vortex of opposition.

Scale of Plastic Pollution Globally

• The world produces more than 430 million tonnes (MT) of plastic annually.
• Two-thirds of this plastic consists of short-lived products that quickly become waste.
• Alarmingly, 46% of plastic waste ends up in landfills, and another 22% is mismanaged, becoming litter.
• Plastic, derived from fossilised crude, also significantly contributes to climate change. 
  • In 2019, plastic generated 1.8 billion metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for approximately 3.4% of the global total.

India’s Plastic Footprint

• India generates around 3.4 MT of plastic waste annually.
• Only about 30% of this waste is recycled.
• Plastic consumption in India increased significantly, rising at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 9.7% from 14 MT in 2016-17 to over 20 MT in 2019-20.
• India has implemented a production ban on approximately 20 single-use plastic items, including cups, straws, and spoons. 
  • While this has induced some behavioural change, such as a greater reliance on paper and cloth bags, it has had little impact on overall waste management and recycling. 

The Core Disagreement- Production vs. Waste Management

• Plastic as a Waste Management Problem: Some countries view plastic pollution as primarily a waste management issue. 
  • They believe it can be solved by improving incentives for the market to better collect and recycle waste.
  • However, evidence from decades of attempts using this approach shows limited gains.
• Plastic as a Source Reduction Problem: Others argue that the only real solution is to reduce plastic production at its source. 
  • This perspective is strengthened by increasing evidence that non-biodegradable plastic, including granular microplastics, is entering human, animal, and marine food systems, posing potential harm. 
  • Island nations and territories are particularly affected, often swamped by plastic waste washing up on their shores.
  • Nations do not universally agree on this ‘toxicity’ aspect of plastic. 
  • The calls to cut production are often viewed as tactics to impose trade barriers and contribute to tariff uncertainty.

Conclusion

The impasse in global talks stems from a lack of mutual trust. 

• The “halcyon days” when some countries could easily guide environmental resolutions based on an assumed “common good” are long gone.
• Unless nations can build greater trust before such discussions and genuinely listen to each other, simply holding more meetings will prove futile

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