At the UN Environment Assembly held in December, a number of countries advocated a 'zero tolerance' approach and called for more proactive action to combat plastic wastes and, in particular, prevent plastic wastes from entering the oceans.
Although UNCEDA's actions are not legally binding, more than 200 countries passed a resolution urging the international community to take more measures to combat plastic waste, some of which said they hoped the initiative would lead to the development of legally binding treaties .
For example, Norway's Minister of Climate and Environment Vidal Herr Hirsch told Reuters in an interview that plastic pollution is "very serious" and many countries are now exploring a legally binding instrument and measures, and in the ensuing 18 months at the international level. '
The conference was held in Nairobi, Kenya, from December 4 to 6, and adopted 13 important resolutions including plastics, mercury and lead poisoning, and air pollution, which is the third UN Environment Assembly, and the next one may be two Held after year
The plastic industry, through the World Plastics Council's statement in a December 6 general assembly vote, said: 'To join the rapidly growing global consensus to control plastic pollution in the oceans, we must invest in improving the management of municipal solid waste by focusing on rivers and coastlines Nearby, and populous emerging economies. '
The Plastics Council of the World (WPC) consists of plastic industry associations around the world, including the American Chemistry Council, the European Plastics Industry Association, and the Gulf Petrochemical and Chemical Association.
WPC President Abdullah Herman Al-Fogh said the UN resolution is in line with other research and government statements from the APEC, G7, G20 and plastics manufacturing industries, saying that the plastics industry has global support 260 marine garbage projects.
He said: 'Our industry has been working on the research and regulation of marine debris around the world since 2011. Marine litter is a complex global issue that deserves the joint efforts, reflection and action of government departments, scientists and industry.'
Some action proposals by UN agencies may put tensions on the plastics industry, including plastic box deposits, plastic bag bans and the phase-out of disposable plastic products.
Eric Surghan, UNEP's Executive Director responsible for organizing the conference, said he posted a blueprint for 'what's next' on Twitter, which ranked Boycotting Plastics as the first.
He said: "For a long time, we have regarded the ocean as a bottomless landfill dumping plastic, sewage and other wastes." At the press conference, he pointed out that plastic pollution, air quality and chemicals are the key agenda items for this conference .
Helgenson, co-chairing the UN Marine Plastic Waste Conference held in June at the United Nations, said at this closing meeting that he agreed with the 'zero tolerance' of plastic wastes and said stronger action was needed to combat marine litter problem.
He said: 'We lack a unified international regulatory framework to solve the marine litter problem in a comprehensive way. The rapidly growing amount of rubbish and plastic particles in the oceans is a matter of universal concern.'
The congress recommended continuing the deep discussion on the issue of plastic and triggering the higher attention of all governments.
The plastics industry has challenged UNEP's practice, especially since the agency announced the 'anti-ocean plastic war' earlier this year. Industry executives said they are more likely to focus on ways to create government refuse collection projects such as APEC-promoted approach, not product ban.
In a statement, WPC said a study by Trucost shows that replacing other materials with plastic in consumer products and bags can triple the environmental costs.
But United Nations meetings discussed the boycott of specific products, including the official meeting on the recent ban on plastic bags in Kenya, and the congress also celebrated the smooth progress of restrictions on plastic bags in Chile and Sri Lanka or the one-time ban on plastic products.
According to Herzensen, the conference focused on pollution because it is the single largest cause of premature death in the world and 9 million people died of pollution, leaving air pollution alone to prematurely kill 6.5 million people.
The UN said the pollution problem has also dragged down economic growth, equivalent to 6.2% of the global economy.