In 2022, the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) initiated a process to develop a legally binding treaty on plastics pollution by the end of 2024. The fifth and final round of discussion on a legally binding treating for curbing plastic pollution ended without any agreement. Although the treaty was not finalised, discussions on the draft text of the treaty will continue next year.
In today’s Knowledge Nugget, let’s get to know about the negotiation around the Global Plastic Treaty and why curbing plastic pollution is the need of the hour.
Key Takeaways:
1. Over 170 nations were in Busan, South Korea, at the fifth and final meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) of the United Nations to finalise the most important environmental treaty since the 2015 Paris agreement. It was in 2022 in Nairobi at the United Nations Environment Assembly that a resolution was adopted to develop global rules for curbing plastic pollution and do so by the end of 2024.
2. The draft text provided clear definitions of plastic and plastic products, but it did not reflect definitions of contentious issues such as microplastics, nanoplastics, primary plastic polymers, and recycling.
3. The three most crucial issues that prevented the signing of the agreement included putting a global cap on polymer production, eliminating harmful chemicals from plastic production, and phasing out harmful plastic products.
4. A significant divide emerged between the two main coalitions- the High Ambition Coalition (HAC) and the like-minded group, mainly comprising oil-producing countries.
5. According to the website of Earth.org, the HAC advocates for binding agreements to phase out harmful plastics and chemicals, while the like-minded group prefers a focus solely on waste management and recycling. This became one of the points of disagreement.
6. India outlines its stance that any legally binding treaty must recognise the need for support to developing countries through finance and technology transfer. At the outset, it made clear it did not support any articles on “supply”, referring to the discussions surrounding curbing production.
7. India also said production of primary polymers was not directly linked to plastic pollution, and there should be no targets concerning polymer or plastic production. Instead, it asked to focus on reducing plastic pollution.
Why the world needs a global plastic treaty
1. Owing to its adaptable properties and versatile use, plastic has become almost indispensable for humans. As a result, plastic production has skyrocketed across the world in recent decades. Since the 1950s, plastic production across the world has skyrocketed. It increased from just 2 million tonnes in 1950 to more than 450 million tonnes in 2019. If left unchecked, the production is slated to double by 2050, and triple by 2060.
2. This has led to a crisis as plastic takes anywhere from 20 to 500 years to decompose, and less than 10% has been recycled till now, according to a 2023 study published by The Lancet. Much of the plastic waste leaks into the environment, especially into rivers and oceans, where it breaks down into smaller particles (microplastic or nanoplastic).
Even just in the last two decades, global plastic production has doubled. (Credit: Our World in Data)
3. The exposure to chemicals in plastic can also cause endocrine disruption and a range of human diseases, including cancer, diabetes, reproductive disorders, and neurodevelopmental impairment. Plastic also harms species inhabiting marine, freshwater, and land ecosystems.
4. Plastic production and disposal are also contributing to climate change. According to a report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), in 2019, plastics generated 1.8 billion tonnes of GHG emissions — 3.4% of global emissions. Roughly 90% of these emissions come from plastic production, which uses fossil fuels as raw material.
5. According to a study published in the journal Nature last year, India contributes to a fifth of global plastic pollution. India burns roughly 5.8 million tonnes (mt) of plastic each year, and releases another 3.5 mt of plastics into the environment (land, air, water) as debris. Cumulatively, India contributes to 9.3 mt of plastic pollution in the world annually, significantly more than the countries next in this list — Nigeria (3.5 mt), Indonesia (3.4 mt) and China (2.8 mt) — and exceeding previous estimates.
BEYOND THE NUGGET: Categories of plastics
1. The Plastic Waste Management Rule 2021 banned the use of single-use plastics covering 19 categories in 2022. Single-use plastic refers to plastic items that are used once and discarded. Single-use plastic has among the highest shares of plastic manufactured and used — from packaging of items, to bottles (shampoo, detergents, cosmetics), polythene bags, face masks, coffee cups, cling film, trash bags, food packaging etc.
2. According to the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, there are 7 categories of plastics on the basis of their recyclability.
Post read question
(1) Consider the following: (UPSC CSE 2025)
I. Cigarette butts
II. Eyeglass lenses
III. Car tyres
How many of them contain plastic?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All the three
(d) None
(2) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2024)
Statement-I: Many chewing gums found in the market are considered a source of environmental pollution.
Statement-II: Many chewing gums contain plastic as gum base.
Which pone of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
(b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
(c) Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
(d) Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct
(Source: Why the world needs a global plastic treaty, Why global plastic treaty talks collapsed, India generates highest plastic pollution in world: what a new study found)
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These plastic bottles might be comfortable for a moment but proving to be disastrous for the generations to come. (Representational) 
Even just in the last two decades, global plastic production has doubled. (Credit: Our World in Data)
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