CBCGDF’s Reduce and Pick-up Plastics Working Committee Submits Recommendations to INC-3
The second session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-2) took place from 29 May to 2 June 2023 at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Headquarters in Paris, France. As an observer organization to INC-2, China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) sent representatives to Paris to attend the meeting. In order to sort out and reflect on the meeting outcomes of INC-2 and prepare for the INC-3 to be held in Nairobi, Kenya in November 2023, the organizer invited Committee members and observer organizations to provide submissions.
On August 1, 2023, the Reduce and Pick-up Plastics Working Committee of CBCGDF held a special meeting for this purpose and prepared the written material which was submitted to INC-3 several days later.
Recommendation 1
Guarantee the welfare of waste workers
Work out the clear definition of Waste Workers. The Treaty should recognize and support small workshops for waste workers. Acknowledge the contribution of waste pickers to plastic pollution control, and provide policy and tax support (such as: tax exemption, registration exemption).
For example, there are a large number of informal waste pickers in China, who collect plastic products and sell them, becoming a force that cannot be ignored in plastic pollution control. This group lacks professional training, sanitation facilities and safety and health protection facilities, and has not been officially recognized. Therefore, the support, official recognition and technical and financial assistance to this group need to be included in the Treaty.
Recommendation 2
Adopt unified product labeling standards in consideration of E（environmental）S (social) G（governance）
All countries are required to formulate laws and standards, and plastic products are required to have label instructions: 1. How many recycled raw materials are used in the product? 2. What percentage of the product can be recycled and reused? 3. Product Warranty Period
Recommendation 3
Adapt measures to local conditions and technological innovations, such as replacing plastic with bamboo
Encourage contracting countries to consider their local available resources as the substitute for plastics. For example, the Chinese government joined hands with other organizations and companies to develop the initiative and launched bamboo as the substitute for plastic to reduce plastic pollution.
Recommendation 4
Minimize the use of single-use plastics in the education system
Case: Following the suggestion from CBCGDF, four departments in China, including the Ministry of Education, jointly introduced the “Plastic-Free Back-to-School Season” Policy in the autumn of 2019. This policy explicitly stated: “Plastic usage leads to white pollution, and some substandard plastic book covers contain formaldehyde and benzene, which have a negative impact on children’s neurological and physical development. In line with the national ‘plastic reduction’ requirements, efforts are made to achieve a ‘plastic-free back-to-school season’. Schools are not allowed to compel students to use plastic book covers, particularly those with problems.” For more details, please refer to: http://www.moe.gov.cn/srcsite/A26/s7054/201910/t20191022_404746.html
Recommendation 5
Promote sustainable agriculture and encourage agricultural sectors worldwide to reduce the use of single-use plastics
Advocate ecological agriculture and promote the reduction of single-use plastics in the agricultural sector of different countries. For example, plastic pollution caused by plastic mulch in agriculture cannot be ignored, which has become a major source of pollution in some rural areas.
Case: CBCGDF supports many “ecological farms” and is trying to develop eco-friendly agriculture without disposable plastic mulch. It turns out that crops can grow just fine without plastic mulch.
Recommendation 6
Recognise “Green Consumption Rights” for consumers in the Treaty
Case: Five years ago, we went to fast food restaurants to buy beverages and brought our own cups, but we were rejected. The cashier said that they had to use disposable cups to comply with their service procedures and specifications. Although we didn’t want disposable plastic cups, or disposable paper cups (they are usually lined with plastics), there was still no way to say “no” to this behavior.
To this end, CBCGDF launched the “Green Bottles Initiative” in China, advocating that businesses should respect consumers’ rights to green consumption. Moreover, in 2017, CBCGDF filed an environmental public interest lawsuit against six major food delivery platforms and successfully requested them to allow consumers to have the option of “no disposable tableware” when placing orders online. Through this bottom-up initiative, we successfully promoted the participation of more and more people, especially the young, making it a trend. Later, local legislations followed suit, including Shanghai, Beijing and other places, which issued laws one after another, clearly requiring that catering service providers and catering delivery service providers shall not provide consumers with disposable chopsticks, spoons and other tableware as default.
By clearly defining and advocating for “Green Consumption Rights”, we can empower consumers to make sustainable choices and drive businesses and governments to prioritize environmental considerations in their practices and policies.
Recommendation 7
Adhere to the principle of eliminating the use of single-use plastics
Clearly include a provision in the Treaty stating that all Conferences of Parties (COPs) under the Treaty must adhere to the principle of eliminating the use of single-use plastics. This measure will underscore the commitment of all parties to tackle plastic pollution and promote the adoption of sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives in all aspects of the Treaty’s implementation. By collectively eliminating single-use plastics in COPs, the Treaty will set a powerful example for the world and reinforce the urgency and importance of addressing plastic pollution at the global level.
Recommendation 8
Establish a Clearing House Mechanism (CHM) within the Treaty
The CHM will serve as an information exchange and coordination mechanism to promote cooperation and information sharing among contracting parties. The primary objective of the CHM is to assist contracting parties in publishing, collecting, storing, disseminating, and accessing information and data related to land-based plastic pollution and marine plastic pollution. By implementing the CHM, the Treaty can enhance collaboration and coordination among its parties, avoid duplication of efforts, and ensure effective information exchange to better address global plastic pollution management, including challenges related to marine plastic pollution.
Recommendation 9
Establish a Global Plastic Pollution Fund
As a mechanism under the Treaty, the establishment of a dedicated fund aims to support projects and initiatives related to plastic pollution management, encouraging participation from both the public and private sectors. The Global Plastic Pollution Fund will be specifically designed to address the challenges posed by plastic pollution and facilitate the implementation of effective solutions worldwide. By providing financial resources and support, the fund will play a crucial role in promoting research, innovation, and sustainable practices, ultimately contributing to a cleaner and healthier environment for current and future generations.
Recommendation 10
Create synergy among treaties, countries, regions and organizations
Strengthen the synergy between the overlapping content of the Treaty and other instruments, and the content related to wildlife protection should be coordinated with the CMS Convention. For the governance content of the Treaty, the importance of regional collaborative governance needs to be emphasized, and it is advisable to advocate various treaties in different regions, countries and departments.
These recommendations are published on the its webpage at: https://resolutions.unep.org/resolutions/uploads/cbcgdf_a_10082023.pdf
Original Chinese Article:
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/QoTqNn69-HQpiYuzYJXfvA
Translator: Irene
Checked by Richard
Editor: Irene
Contact: v10@cbcgdf.org; +8617319454776
Contribution
Do you know? CBCGDF is a non-profit organization. We rely on crowd-funding and donations. You have the opportunity to help us to advance biodiversity conservation. Donate TODAY to power up the movement to make it a better world for all life.
Comments
Post a Comment