Here’s how the UN summit against the flood of plastic waste is going

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One thousand five hundred international delegates have been meeting since Monday in Paris about a global agreement to eliminate the plastic flood from the world!

“The world needs to start turning off the plastic tap immediately and with emergency measures. Plastic is made from nearly 100 percent fossil fuels, making it extremely anti-climate. Negotiators must take seriously the dangerous impact of pollution on the environment and people and decide on a radical change. Mini-steps or voluntary measures are completely insufficient in view of the gigantic scale,” demands Lisa Panhuber, a circular economy expert at Greenpeace Austria. She is on-site in Paris as an observer of the negotiations.

An eco-report by Greenpeace USA shows how dramatic the situation already is. According to this report, plastic production has increased the pollution of our oceans and rivers since the 1950s. And that’s not all: the relevant industry wants to double production again by 2050 to 1.2 million metric tons.

Facts
The annual per capita consumption of plastics in Austria is 150 kilos.
The global annual turnover of the plastics industry is estimated at 70 billion euros.
According to the UN Environment Programme, plastics contain 13,000 chemicals, 3,200 known to be hazardous to health.
Ninety-nine percent of our plastic is made from oil and gas.

Way out: “Prevention at the source”
Unfortunately, American environmentalists also dampen hopes for the benefits of recycling! That’s because recycled materials often contain even higher levels of chemicals, including toxic flame retardants, carcinogens, environmental pollutants and numerous “trace elements” that can alter the body’s natural hormone levels. The only way out, according to Panhuber: is “avoidance at the source.” Environmentalists view the first draft of the negotiations positively but see numerous loopholes that still need to be closed.

Positive approach: the agenda includes a cap on the production of new plastic and restrictions on particularly aggressive chemicals or plastic cards. In addition, the drastic reduction of microplastic pollution is to be decided, as well as ecodesign requirements and regulations to increase reusability and repair. Panhuber’s fear: “Opponents, such as major oil producers Saudi Arabia and Malaysia, will do everything they can to weaken the agreement and keep commitments low.”

Waste transports by rail fail.
In Austria, however, there is also excitement about waste transport by rail. This is because mandatory transport of waste over ten tons by rail has been in effect since this year. “Initial experience has shown that almost no transport via rail was possible. There is no capacity for this and the argument of C02 savings is thus also shaken,” warn Harald Höpperger, chairman of the trade association, and Petra Wieser, managing director of the division.