People want action on plastic pollution that’s choking us: Guterres

Countries gathered in Colombia to work on a treaty to end plastic pollution must strive for “an ambitious, credible and just” deal that responds to the needs of communities everywhere, including some 20 million waste-pickers, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Wednesday.

“We are choking on plastic,” the UN chief told an intergovernmental panel tasked with devising an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution on land and water.

“Each year, humanity produces over 460 million metric tonnes of plastic,” Mr. Guterres said. “Half of it is designed for single-use purposes – used once and tossed away. By 2050, there could be more plastic in the ocean than fish.”

Demand for action

Highlighting the fact that people around the world “are demanding” action on plastic pollution, the Secretary-General urged negotiators meeting in Cali to conclude an agreement by the end of 2024 - as Member States recommitted to in September, when they issued the Pact for the Future.

After the Colombia discussions, which come after several rounds of multilateral encounters since Member States agreed in 2022 to work on a global solution to end plastic pollution, a fifth and potentially final meeting is scheduled in Busan, South Korea from 25 November to 1 December.

Mr. Guterres hailed Peru and Rwanda for originally introducing the proposal at the UN Environment Assembly in March 2022 that recognized the harmful impact of high and rapidly increasing levels of plastic pollution on human health and the planet.

Although the discussions had not been straightforward, reaching a globally agreed solution is “vital” for humanity and the planet, the UN chief insisted, as he noted that plastic pollution “is everywhere – all around us and even inside us – from our seas to our blood, to our brains”.

“We need action,” Mr. Guterres added. “People are demanding it…This is an opportunity to demonstrate that multilateralism, while not always easy, can deliver for people, health and the environment.”

Crucial service

Many countries already recognize the important role played by waste-pickers in managing municipal rubbish. According to the International Alliance of Waste-pickers, workers collect around 60 per cent of all plastic that is destined for recycling globally.

In line with the UN chief’s call for a just global treaty that takes into account the needs of waste-pickers and others who earn a living from plastic collection, the Alliance has pressed for international recognition of the vulnerability of many workers who often come from poor and marginalized communities; others are also survivors of abuse, ethnic minorities and climate refugees.

These vulnerabilities are referenced in the landmark UN Environment Assembly resolution UNEA-5/14 to end plastic pollution which recognizes the “significant contribution” made by waste-pickers in collecting, sorting and recycling plastics in many countries.