Majid Bashir
Each year, more than 300 million metric tons of plastic is created. Many plastic products are single use, cannot be recycled, and remain in the environment for decades or centuries. Only 9 percent of plastic ever produced has been recycled, while the remaining plastic waste is dumped, landfilled, incinerated, or litters the environment. Of all plastic produced, 79 percent has accumulated in landfills, informal dumpsites, or the natural environment, and 12 percent has been incinerate
The production, use, and disposal of plastic generate harmful effects on human health and the environment. International human rights law obligates governments to address such harms and to respect, protect, and fulfill the rights to health, water, access to information, and a healthy environment. The Prime Minister secretariat has issued directives to impose complete ban on the use of polythene bags, following the instructions, other provinces have also put ban on polythene bans, causing choking sewer open drainage system, spoiling sanitation and creating an overall unaesthetic view of the environment, burning them causes producing dioxins and furans and inhaling due to toxicity to human system responsible for producing serious diseases.
Now it’s considered to be one of the biggest threats to the world’s oceans delegates from U.N member states gathered in Paris to confront the problem of plastic pollution the goal is to agree on a global treaty to limit the production of plastic and to emphasize the need for recycling the UN environmental program which is hosting the tools has released a blueprint for reducing plastic waste by 80 percent by the year 2040.
Recycling alone is not going to solve the problem and as we see today the numbers for the amount of plastic that gets recycled is a business and so when we think about what an agreement like this could do one it needs to focus On the sustainable consumption of our products two is an industry we need to focus on how we design those products for circularity so they could be easily remade into new products and three it needs to be Equitable to the three billion people across the globe who don’t have access to proper waste management at as an industry we have invested nearly 16 billion dollars to scale new technologies in recycling modernize existing Technologies and accelerate public-private Partnerships to build capacity across the globe on the natural environment regarding Plastics .
The International Pollutants Elimination Network, or IPEN, wants a treaty that restricts chemicals used to make plastic that are harmful to human health and the environment, suggesting to focus on plastic waste in this treaty would be a failure because you have to look at plastic production to solve the crisis including the extraction of fossil fuels and the toxic chemical additives.
The most visible impacts of plastic debris are the ingestion, suffocation and entanglement of hundreds of marine species. Marine wildlife such as seabirds, whales, fish and turtles mistake plastic waste for prey; most then die of starvation as their stomachs become filled with plastic. They also suffer from lacerations, infections, reduced ability to swim, and internal injuries. Floating plastics also help transport invasive marine species, thereby threatening marine biodiversity and the food web.
Micro plastics have been found in tap water, beer, salt and are present in all samples collected in the world’s oceans, including the Arctic. Several chemicals used in the production of plastic materials are known to be carcinogenic and to interfere with the body’s endocrine system, causing developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune disorders in both humans and wildlife. Recently, micro plastics were found in human placentas but more research is needed to determine if this is a widespread problem.
Plastic is a material that has become ubiquitous in modern life due to its low cost, durability, and versatility. However, plastic waste has become a major environmental issue, particularly in developing countries like Pakistan, where the lack of proper waste management and recycling infrastructure has resulted in the accumulation of plastic waste in the environment. Plastic pollution not only affects the environment but also human health, as plastic waste can release harmful chemicals into the soil and water, and be ingested by animals, which can then enter the food chain.
According to a report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Pakistan generates approximately 20 million tons of solid waste annually, of which 5 to 10 percent is plastic waste. Additionally, a study conducted by the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) in 2018 found that Pakistan is one of the top 10 countries in the world for plastic pollution, with an estimated 90 percent of plastic waste being improperly disposed of. The plastic waste in Pakistan is primarily generated by urban areas, and the waste collection and disposal infrastructure is inadequate to handle the volume of plastic waste generated. As a result, plastic waste is often burned or dumped in open areas, including water bodies, which leads to environmental pollution and health hazards.
Efforts should be made to adhere to and strengthen existing international legislative frameworks that address marine plastic pollution. Regional and national governments should also explore national legislative frameworks on Extended Producer Responsibility. These are emerging as innovative, low-cost solutions, as are policies to promote circular economies.
Governments, research institutions and industries need to work collaboratively to redesign products, and rethink their use and disposal to reduce micro plastic waste from pellets, synthetic textiles and tyres. Consumers and society must shift to more sustainable consumption patterns. This will require solutions which go beyond waste management and consider the whole lifecycle of plastic products; from design to infrastructure, and household use.
More funding for research and innovation should be made available to provide policymakers, manufacturers and consumers with the evidence needed to implement technological, behavioral and policy solutions to address marine plastic pollution. Methodologies to identify, measure and address marine plastic pollution sources and plastic leakage are available, including from IUCN.If we don’t stop plastic pollution, and continue to use it without recycling, there will be quite catastrophic consequences for our aquatic and territorial ecosystem. The Government and stakeholders should immediately hold working and consultative sessions on alternative solutions and preventive measures.
The author is a former Judge and President of Caretaker of the Environment Pakistan. He can be reached at judgemajid@hotmail.com