{"id":2654,"date":"2023-12-27T17:02:32","date_gmt":"2023-12-27T09:02:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greenitio.com\/?p=2654"},"modified":"2024-12-09T21:17:16","modified_gmt":"2024-12-09T13:17:16","slug":"un-ban-on-synthetic-polymers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greenitio.com\/un-ban-on-synthetic-polymers\/","title":{"rendered":"The Growing Shift: UN Ban on Synthetic Polymers"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a monumental move toward environmental sustainability, the United Nations has recently announced a<\/span> comprehensive ban on plastics<\/a>, recognizing the urgency of addressing the escalating global plastic pollution crisis. The law, proposed on March 2, 2022, is to be finalised and brought into effect by 2024.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Why is the ban significant?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Several countries have voluntarily proposed regulations to end certain aspects of plastic pollution, e.g. the ban on added microplastics to consumer products under the<\/span> REACH regulation in Europe<\/a>, or the<\/span> Modernisation of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MoCRA) in the US<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, this landmark ban proposes an <\/span>internationally, legally binding instrument <\/b>on plastic pollution, that\u2019d place an emphasis on a holistic approach and also address the \u2018full life cycle\u2019 of plastics versus solutions around recycling or waste treatment.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The transboundary nature of plastics and synthetic polymers<\/span><\/h2>\n

The ban acknowledges the transboundary nature of plastic pollution and emphasises the importance of a full-cycle approach and global cooperation to combat it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the November 2023 meeting of the<\/span> third session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) for the ban<\/a>, The Executive Director of the UNEP, Inger Andersen shared: <\/span><\/span>\u201cThe resolution passed at UNEA 5.2 (the fifth United Nations Environment Assembly in 2022) called for an instrument that is, and I quote, \u2018based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic. <\/span>Not an instrument that deals with plastic pollution by recycling or waste management alone. The full life cycle. This means rethinking everything along the chain, from polymer to pollution, from product to packaging.<\/b>\u201d She added, \u201cWe need to use fewer virgin materials, less plastic, and no harmful chemicals. We need to ensure that we use, reuse, and recycle resources more efficiently. And dispose safely of what is left over. And use these negotiations to hone a sharp and incisive instrument to carve out a better future, free from plastic pollution.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The lifecycle of a plastic<\/span><\/h2>\n

Plastic is primarily derived from fossil fuels, which are then processed into plastic polymers through processes like polymerisation. These synthetic polymers can be moulded into different products, or added as chemicals to products for applications in various industries – from industrial uses to personal care products. The finished products are distributed and consumed globally, in various forms, shapes, and sizes through logistics and transportation.<\/span><\/p>\n

At the end of their lifecycle, they are treated as waste and disposed of through landfills, incineration, or recycling.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n