Plastic waste out of control: UN negotiations fail again!

Plastic waste out of control: UN negotiations fail again!

Busan, Südkorea - global plastic production reaches alarming dimensions, with less than ten percent of the total plastic being recycled. This emerges from a current study that is based on national statistics, industrial reports and international databases. Despite the fact that plastic production continues to increase, progress in recycling is minimal. Therefore, around 90 % of the plastic comes from fossil fuels such as oil and gas, which further increases the environmental impact. The recycling rate in the United States is particularly worrying, which is one of the lowest worldwide at only five percent. The high costs of plastic preparation are often cited as a crucial reason for the low recycling rate and are due to structural problems in waste management that are globally. Kleine Zeitung berichtet von diesen Fakten.

In the context of these alarming developments, the planned negotiations on a UN plastic agreement must play a crucial role. The fifth round of negotiations in Busan, South Korea failed on an agreement after representatives from more than 170 countries struggle for solutions to reduce plastic waste. The central dispute remained the upper limit for plastic production, which is required by over 100 states. These include Mexico, Panama, Rwanda and the EU. The heart of the discussion is that oil exporting nations such as Saudi Arabia and Russia-which refuse an upper limit-instead want to focus on waste management. ZDF pointing out that the debate should be continued in 2025 to find a consensus.

global challenges and environmental effects

The devastating effects of plastic pollution are increasingly visible. It turns out that micro and nanoplasty are now widespread worldwide and have even been demonstrated in human organs. Ecologists and environmentalists warn of the serious health and ecological consequences of plastic production. OceanCare draws attention to the fact that plastics along their entire life cycle are harmful and even the search for raw materials in the sea with sound cannons causes massive damage to marine animals. The cumid in plastic waste contributes to the CO2 emission and increases climate change.

The global production of plastic exceeds 400 million tons annually, increasing with a worrying trend. The last negotiations therefore also record a significant criticism. Environmentalists such as Greenpeace are calling for binding global goals to reduce plastic production, while the WWF denounces the resistance of a minority of states that do not strive for a meaningful agreement. Juan Carlos Monterrey Gómez from Panama even described plastic as a "mass destruction weapon" and underlined the urgency of immediate measures to effectively counter the problem of plastic pollution.