Tackling Plastic Pollution. The Global Plastics Treaty

Jayne Kirkham MP with letters from a local school on environmental issues

Living by the sea, we know all too well the threat that plastic pollution poses. From bottle tops to packaging, thousands of plastic items wash up on Cornish beaches every year. What was once an occasional inconvenience is now a common occurrence.

Local groups like Surfers Against Sewage, Plastic Free Falmouth, and Plastic Free Cornwall are doing great work to raise awareness and clean up our coastlines, ably supported by schoolchildren, who regularly write to me about their concerns and ideas for action.

This month, at the EFRA Select Committee, we focused on the UN Global Plastics Treaty, which aims to set legally binding targets to reduce plastic production and transition towards a circular economy based on reuse and refill.

After two weeks of negotiations in Geneva, talks ended without a plastics treaty. However, countries rejected a dangerously weak draft that would have protected industry polluters. The UK, praised by Greenpeace, played a leading role in resisting pressure to accept a poor deal and remains committed to continuing negotiations.

The UK has emerged as a leader in key areas of the treaty, including proposals relating to Articles on chemicals and products, product design, and emissions and releases. We have also championed measures to ensure the Plastic Treaty address plastic production.

Greenpeace worked closely with the UK team during the negotiations, mobilising its global network in support of the UK’s proposals. They have highlighted the EFRA Committee’s intervention as a significant and helpful contribution to progress.

Alongside our international efforts, this Government is also taking domestic action: from banning single-use disposable vapes, to introducing a Deposit Return Scheme that cuts waste and promotes recycling.

But there is no room for complacency. Global plastic waste is projected to triple by 2060. Plastic manufacturing still outpaces our ability to manage the waste it generates. And many scientists involved in the treaty process have faced pressure and threats for speaking out. There are more levers we can pull.