Scientists call for cap on production to end plastic pollution

Date:
April 28, 2022
Source:
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Summary:
An international group of experts says the production of
new plastics should be capped to solve the plastic pollution
problem. The authors argue that all other measures won't suffice
to keep up with the pace of plastic production and releases.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Capping production of new plastics can help cut their release to the environment -- and also brings other benefits, from boosting the value
of recycled plastics to helping tackle climate change

==========================================================================
Now, after the United Nations' historic decision to adopt a global treaty
to end plastic pollution earlier this year, governmental negotiations
on the agreement are set to begin on May 30th. These will foster intense debates on what kind of measures will be needed to end the pollution of
the air, soils, rivers and oceans with plastic debris and microplastics.

In a letter to the journal Science, an international group of scientists
and experts now argue for tackling the issue right at the source, by regulating, capping, and in the long term phasing out the production of
new plastics.

Recycling not enough "Even if we recycled better and tried to manage the
waste as much as we can, we would still release more than 17 million tons
of plastic per year into nature," says Melanie Bergmann of the German Alfred-Wegener-Institute, the initiator of the letter. "If production
just keeps growing and growing, we will be faced with a truly Sisyphean
task," she adds.

Research published in Science in 2020 shows that plastic emissions
can only be cut by 79 per cent over the next 20 years if all solutions available today are implemented, including replacing some plastics with
other materials, and improved recycling and waste management.



==========================================================================
"The exponentially growing production is really the root cause of the
problem, and the amounts of plastics we have produced thus far have
already exceeded planetary boundaries," says Bethanie Carney Almroth
of the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. "If we don't tackle that, all
other measures will fail to achieve the goal of substantially reducing
the release of plastic into the environment," she said.

Phasing out new plastics important Phasing out the production of new
plastics from fresh feedstocks should be part of a systemic solution to
end plastic pollution, the experts from Canada, Germany, India, Norway,
Sweden, Turkey, the UK and the U.S. argue. This approach is supported
by the best science available today and in line with what political and
legal experts proposed in Science last year.

Along with measures to address the consumption and demand side of the
problem - - such as taxes -- a comprehensive approach must also cover
the supply side, meaning the actual amount of plastics produced and put
on the market.

Gradually cutting the production of new plastics will come with many
societal, environmental and economic benefits, the scientists say.

Sedat Gu"ndo?du of the Cukurova University, Turkey, says "The massive production also feeds the plastic waste transfer from the Global
North to the South. A production cap will facilitate getting rid of non-essential applications and reduce plastic waste exports." "We gain
a lot of benefits from plastics but reducing production will increase
the value of plastics, boost other measures to curb plastic pollution,
help tackle climate change and promote our transition to a circular
and sustainable economy," adds Martin Wagner, an ecotoxicologist at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Norwegian_University_of_Science_and_Technology. Note: Content may be
edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Melanie Bergmann, Bethanie Carney Almroth, Susanne M. Brander,
Tridibesh
Dey, Dannielle S. Green, Sedat Gundogdu, Anja Krieger,
Martin Wagner, Tony R. Walker. A global plastic treaty
must cap production. Science, 2022; 376 (6592): 469 DOI:
10.1126/science.abq0082 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220428142653.htm

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