“We are choking on plastic,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres, speaking to an international negotiating team in Cali, Colombia. Faced with the task of forging a binding global agreement to tackle plastic pollution, the panel heard Mr Guterres warn of the consequences of inaction.
“Each year, humanity produces more than 460 million tons of plastic,” he said. “Part of it is designed for single use – used once and thrown away. By 2050, there could be more plastic in the ocean than fish.”
The push for an international agreement reflects the growing global public demand for concrete solutions to the plastic problem.
The current summit in Colombia is part of a series of talks, with the final round to be held in late November in Busan, South Korea. The urgency of reaching an agreement by the end of 2024 was reinforced in the Future Agreement, which was signed by UN Member States in September.
Mr. Guterres praised Peru and Rwanda for their important role in promoting a global solution at the UN Environment Assembly in 2022.
The proposal acknowledged the damaging effects of plastic on both ecosystems and human health, a concern shared by communities around the world. “Plastic pollution is everywhere – all around us and even inside us – from our oceans to our blood, to our brains,” Mr Guterres said.
The international focus on plastic pollution reflects a major shift towards environmental accountability, fueled by public demand. Mr. Guterres described this period as an opportunity to prove that “international cooperation, although not always easy, can bring people, health and the environment.”
As representatives work through the complexities of the agreement, the need for an inclusive solution has become clear, recognizing the efforts of those most affected by plastic pollution.
Garbage pickers, often from underserved areas, play an important role in plastic recycling, with the International Alliance of Waste-cockers noting that their work accounts for nearly 60 percent of all recycled plastics.
These workers, most of whom are not climate refugees or survivors of social challenges, are essential in reducing waste.
UN Environment Assembly resolution UNEA-5/14 called for the protection of waste pickers within any future agreement, recognizing their “significant contribution” to global recycling efforts.
This recognition highlights the important but often overlooked role of waste pickers in global waste management, as countries increasingly look to them for sustainable solutions.
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