White Culture

[rooster59]

U.N. clinches deal to stop plastic waste ending up in the sea

By Tom Miles

 

FILE PHOTO: Used plastic bottles are seen staked before being processed at the Mr.Green plastic recycling factory in Nairobi, Kenya, June 25, 2018. REUTERS/Baz Ratner

 

GENEVA (Reuters) - Around 180 countries reached a deal on Friday that aims to sharply reduce the amount of plastic that gets washed into the world's oceans, the United Nations said.

 

They agreed to amend the Basel Convention to make global trade in plastic waste more transparent and better regulated, while also ensuring that its management is safer for human health and the environment.

 

"I’m proud that this week in Geneva, parties to the Basel Convention have reached agreement on a legally-binding, globally-reaching mechanism for managing plastic waste," Rolph Payet, executive secretary at U.N. Environment for the Basel, Rotterdam & Stockholm Conventions, said in a statement.

 

"Pollution from plastic waste, acknowledged as a major environmental problem of global concern, has reached epidemic proportions with an estimated 100 million tonnes of plastic now found in the oceans, 80-90% of which comes from land-based sources," the statement said.

 

Payet said the negotiations, which began 11 days ago and brought together 1,400 delegates, had gone much further than anticipated.

 

Officials attributed the progress partly to growing public awareness worldwide - reinforced by documentary films by British naturalist David Attenborough and others - of the dangers of plastic pollution to marine life.

 

Marco Lambertini, director general of environmental charity WWF International, said that for too long wealthy countries had abdicated responsibility for enormous quantities of plastic waste and that the new accord was a highly welcome step towards redressing the imbalance and restoring some accountability.

 

"However, it only goes part of the way. What we - and the planet - need is a comprehensive treaty to tackle the global plastic crisis," he added.

 

"DEAD ALBATROSS CHICKS"

 

Payet said the new rules should have a significant impact on ocean pollution and ensure that plastics "do not end up where they should not end up".

 

Paul Rose, expedition leader for the National Geographic Pristine Seas Expeditions, said he believed changing public opinion worldwide about plastic pollution had played a positive role in the negotiations.

 

"It was those iconic images of the dead albatross chicks on the Pacific Islands with their stomachs open and all recognizable plastic items inside it, and most recently, it's been when we discovered the nano-particles do cross the blood-brain barrier, and we were able to prove that plastic is in us," Rose said.

 

An online petition entitled "Stop dumping plastic in paradise!" has attracted almost a million signatures in the past week.

 

The new rules will take a year to come into force. But Payet said the signatory countries had said they did not want any delay, adding that the plan was to "hit the ground running".

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-05-11

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[wombat]

[riclag]

There is hope for Rayong ! A positive step for Thailand, a UN member country!

 

 

 

Edited May 11, 2019 by riclag

[utalkin2me]

Why don't we just stop making plastic bottles? Or put extreme taxes on them? 

 

Problem solved.

 

What is so hard about drinking out of reusable glass and getting water from home delivered reusable five gallon plastic containers? There are these amazing things called nalgene bottles and the like. 

 

The way this really works is corporations make more money by making cheap, plastic containers. But then they let the world sort out how to deal with the waste. Don't let them produce the plastics, or make them pay a hefty fee each plastic bottle produced. 

Edited May 11, 2019 by utalkin2me

[Dumbastheycome]

This will be as effective as carbon emission  controls have been. Not

 

[Estrada]

3 hours ago, wombat said:

Better make it 3  Tonnes not 3 pieces

[utalkin2me]

1 hour ago, Estrada said:

Better make it 3  Tonnes not 3 pieces

Yeah, it needs to be stopped at the source. Every human i can think of is drinking water from plastic bottles. Multiple per day. 

 

You should not be allowed to make a bag or bottle that is not reusable or biodegradable. 

 

Why do we let corporations get away with it? These are the top 1%ers. Make them pay to clean up the mess that their own profits have created. 

 

I have no idea why this has not caught on. Probably because people have not seen large enough piles of plastic yet. They will see them soon enough. The stuff aint going anywhere. 

[utalkin2me]

duplicate

Edited May 11, 2019 by utalkin2me

[ryane66]

All countries agreed except one!  USA.

Also unlikely many will do much.

Like many accords, agree, to look good , then ignore.

[Youlike]

7 hours ago, utalkin2me said:

Why don't we just stop making plastic bottles? Or put extreme taxes on them? 

 

Problem solved.

 

What is so hard about drinking out of reusable glass and getting water from home delivered reusable five gallon plastic containers? There are these amazing things called nalgene bottles and the like. 

 

The way this really works is corporations make more money by making cheap, plastic containers. But then they let the world sort out how to deal with the waste. Don't let them produce the plastics, or make them pay a hefty fee each plastic bottle produced. 

Why don't you drink from the tap? We also do it with a good filter.

[Youlike]

9 minutes ago, ryane66 said:

All countries agreed except one!  USA.

Also unlikely many will do much.

Like many accords, agree, to look good , then ignore.

Well let's boycot USA.....i'll start now.

[ryane66]

7 minutes ago, Youlike said:

Well let's boycot USA.....i'll start now.

We stopped using single use plastic and Styrofoam containers in Thailand. Visiting Mexico now and you have a choice between reusable glass or plastic for pop. Most choose the glass. Beer of course is glass or aluminum. Beaches and cities are very clean.

[Ulic]

11 hours ago, wombat said:

Pissing into a hurricane. Nothing that Farang Expats/Tourists can do without Thais/Chinese doing a 180-degree about-face in attitudes toward littering and garbage disposal. Let it pile up, tourism drops, then maybe Thais will have a come to Jesus moment. Tourists picking up garbage while on vacation does not help. Vacationing somewhere else and spending your hard earned vacation money elsewhere eventually will.

[AtoZ]

Asia and Africa are responsible for 85% plus ocean pollution.

 

They will sign whatever... and the next day use the contract as toilet paper after morning dump.

 

That's why US didn't sign. EU, AU, CA shouldn't either.

[Basil B]

Just thinking of Thai Beaches and the Thai love of street food and snacking.

• drinking water in plastic bottles
• soft drinks in plastic bottles
• snacks in plastic wrappers
• meals in polystyrene boxes with disposable knives, forks & spoons
• drinks and soups in plastic bags with plastic straws

and no points for guessing where most of it will end up... ???? 

[simple1]

List below of countries which have signed and ratified the Basel Convention, which includes Thailand - LOL, but not the USA.

 

http://www.basel.int/Countries/StatusofRatifications/PartiesSignatories/tabid/4499/Default.aspx