Webinar: Which solutions to fight against plastic pollution in the ocean?

June 10th, 2020

Alarming Statistics, Private Initiatives, and Public Policies

World Oceans Day took place the day before yesterday, on Monday, June 8. It was a day of conferences, discussions between researchers and policymakers, and engagement with civil society on the theme of innovation for a sustainable ocean. On the same day, IDDRI (Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations) chose to present its study, "Combatting Marine Plastic Pollution: Status and Perspectives," and engage in a webinar discussion with Brune Poirson, Secretary of State for the Minister of the Ecological and Inclusive Transition and Vice-President of the UNEA (United Nations Environment Assembly), Gaetano Leone, Coordinator of the Action Plan for the Mediterranean, Leila Meistertzheim, Member of the Tara Ocean Foundation, and Glen Wright, International Ocean Policy Researcher and Member of IDDRI. The webinar was moderated by Sébastien Treyer, Director of IDDRI.

IDDRI Study: Assessing Different Initiatives and their Coherence

Between 5 and 13 million tons of plastic end up in the oceans each year. This alarming fact was the starting point for Glen Wright's presentation. Plastics degrade slowly, fragment into increasingly smaller particles, affecting more and more species and entering food chains. Plastics act as carriers of chemical contaminants, absorbing a wide variety of pollutants on their surfaces, as well as biological contaminants, facilitating the dispersal of invasive species. To address these issues, several conventions and programs already exist, but according to Glen Wright, the international framework is too fragmented and inadequate for a global problem like plastic pollution. Existing instruments do not address all chemical components (Stockholm Convention, 2001), are not legally binding (Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities), or only cover pollution at sea (London Convention, 1972). However, 80% of plastics ending up in the sea come from land. Regional legal frameworks also exist, such as the Barcelona Convention for the Mediterranean or the Cartagena Convention for the Caribbean, as well as national initiatives aimed at reducing the sale and consumption of single-use plastics, improving waste sorting, and promoting reuse. Civil society and the private sector also give rise to numerous cleaning projects (Clean2Gether, The Ocean Cleanup) and research projects, such as the Tara Ocean Foundation's "Microplastic Mission 2019." The goal of this mission is to identify sources of microplastics in the marine environment, predict their fate, and assess the impact of plastics on biodiversity. The data are currently being studied. "Microplastics are omnipresent in European rivers," says Leila Meistertzheim. According to her, the solution is not to deploy means to recover plastics at the bottom of the oceans (only 1% ends up on the surface), but it is on land because fragmentation often occurs upstream. Leila Meistertzheim reminds us that plastics have harmful effects on all physiological processes of marine organisms and have been found in 100% of tested humans. Eliminating packaging for fruits and vegetables, precisely defining what a single-use product is, and implementing the deposit system are, according to her, the first measures to take to combat plastic pollution in the ocean.

Brune Poirson: Key Points of the Anti-Waste Law for a Circular Economy

And in France, what about it? In July 2019, Brune Poirson presented the draft anti-waste law for a circular economy in the Council of Ministers. In essence, the law aims for a society of full reusability, summarized in three words: reduce, reuse, recycle. "If we don't change our consumption patterns, we won't succeed," says Brune Poirson. This means getting rid of unnecessary packaging and designing products that are easily dismantled and reusable. The deadline is set for 2040, to give ourselves time to achieve it, she says. The objective is the gradual end of all single-use plastic packaging, step by step, by banning disposable straws and cutlery in 2021, tea bags and plastic overpackaging for fruits and vegetables weighing less than 1.5 kg in 2022, and disposable tableware in fast food establishments when the meal is served on-site in 2023. Transforming the waste collection and recycling system also involves implementing the deposit system. To replace single-use plastic, alternatives are possible, such as biodegradable plastic, which must be produced from sustainable and durable bio-based materials. Leila Meistertzheim sees only one problem: the lack of legislation at the European level.

Regarding health, Brune Poirson is clear: "some companies take advantage of the crisis to create confusion between single-use in the medical field and single-use in everyday life." These companies would thus manipulate scientific studies to push consumers, out of fear that the virus responsible for Covid-19 remains on surfaces, to buy and then discard. According to Gaetano Leone, the situation, already serious before, will worsen with the health crisis. Only solidarity and collaboration between states on plastic waste management can provide a solution. "We are all connected to each other and to nature, and this crisis has proven it," he adds.

An International Treaty?

A group of experts on plastic waste and issues of global governance related to it, established during the third UNEA, is expected to report on its work during the fifth UNEA in February 2021. Several states are calling for legally binding agreements on the issue of plastic in the sea, and the idea of a new treaty is increasingly discussed in discussions and literature. However, according to Glen Wright, global actions related to plastic need better coordination at the international level and strengthening synergies between existing conventions. According to IDDRI's article, the UN Environment recognizes that a new treaty would take too much time given the urgency of the situation. But coordination between states is already beginning, particularly with the UNEP/MAP (Plan d'Action pour la Méditerranée), coordinated by Gaetano Leone, which aims to implement the protocols of the Barcelona Convention related to pollution. Regarding plastic pollution, the UNEP/MAP aims to "prevent, reduce, and control the production of marine waste and its impact on the marine and coastal environment." The One Planet Summit, partly led by Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, aims to accelerate initiatives for ecological transition and the "zero waste" policy (commitment 4, action 2 "One Planet Charter"). It is necessary to "work with the convinced and bring on board those who are not yet convinced," concludes Sébastien Treyer.

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