challenges and opportunities of plastics...
TRANSCRIPT
Challenges and opportunities of
plastics management
Session 1: Setting the scene
G7 Plastics workshop
Elisa Tonda, Consumption and Production Unit, Economy Division, UN Environment Programme
Taking stock of current efforts…
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Fragmentation of efforts and initiatives to tackle marine
plastics:
• Either upstream in the value chain for specific types of
plastics - prevention strategies
• Or end‐of‐pipe solutions such as ocean clean‐up.
• Today's linear ‘take, make, dispose’ economic model
relies on large quantities of cheap, easily accessible
materials and energy, and this is a model reaching its
physical limits.
3
Rethink the system where we keep plastics at the highest
possible value and where we do not pollute our oceans, but also our rivers and land
A vision to address the problem
• Take into account the entire
value chain
• Identify strategic intervention
points
• Consider chemicals, and keep
chemicals of concerns away
from plastics
• Involve all actors of the value
chain
• Apply a lifecycle thinking
approach
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Why a value chain approach
1. Know key hotspots
Most impactful polymers and products, life
cycle stages, pathways and fates, impact
categories, geography…
5. Reach common goals
Resource efficiency, circular
economy, reduction of pollution and
impacts, and improve prosperity…
3. Coordinate
All actors of the value chain while prioritizing
leverage areas: government, companies, research
institutions, waste sector, finance sector,
consumers
2. Generate holistic solutions
Upstream (design and production), midstream
(consumption and reuse) and downstream
(disposal and recycling), not missing hotspots
or creating trade-offs4. Prioritize actions
Based on potential impacts, and
feasibility of implementation
5
Plastics value chain
6
Where is the plastic in the oceans (all)
Shoreline
Floating
Sea floor
Concentration (kg/km2)
2000
18
70
Estimate of stock (%)
5
1
94Source: Eunomia Research & Consulting Ltd. (2016)
7
Where is the plastic in the oceans
Source: UNEP
and GRID-
Arendal (2016)
8
Mismanaged plastic waste
Source: UNEP and GRID-Arendal
(2016)
9
• 60-80% from land-based sources, but highly
regional
• For example, prevalence by source for two different
seas:
Sources of macroplastics
40%
40%
1%19%
North SeaRecreational &tourism activities
Marine activities
Toilet/sanitary
Other land-based
40%
10%
25%
25%
Mediterranean
Source: European Commission (2010) Pilot project ‘4 Seas’
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• Plastic litter from retail, commercial, household and
tourism sectors largely packaging and single-use
products
• Sanitary items enter the environment through sewer
systems and have been estimated to account for
more than 20% of plastics in riverine systems
• Short-lived consumer items, such as disposable
cutlery and take-away food containers, straws etc.,
typically made from PS, PP and PET
• Fishing gear, nets, lines, cords and gillnets typically
made from PET and PE
• Floats made from polystyrene, or from a number of
polymers, including ABS
Sources of macroplastics
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• Majority arise during the product use phase, either
through product “wear and tear” (synthetic textiles and
tyres) or intentional loss (cosmetic products and
cleaning agents)
• Quantity released to rivers/oceans depends on the
level of wastewater treatment
• Further source is losses of polymer pellets during
production, transport and recycling processes
Sources of primary microplastics
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Modelled sources of primary microplastics
Source: Boucher & Friot (2017)
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Describing materials flowsEstimation of plastics losses to environment:
- Waste management systems to characterise
- Transport fate of plastics from releases up to entry to
marine environment
Material flow and waste management data – to be refined per
application / geographic
Understanding the consequences of interventionsFramework for measuring impact of interventions
Life cycle based assessments to assess consequences and
to assess alternatives.
Assessment capacity to ensure circularity while avoiding
burden shifting
Strengthening our understanding of the
problem
14
Impacts of actionsToxicity risks from additives / monomers
Health risks to humans from consuming seafood contaminated by
microplastics
Cost analysis of plastics use (to the economy, society and
environment)
Degradation mechanism of bioplastics in the environment
Drivers for littering (behavioural science)
Strengthening our understanding of the
problem II
15
Overview of relevant global and regional
instruments
16
Regional instruments
17
Current governance strategies and approaches provide
a fragmented approach that does not adequately
address marine litter and microplastics.The international legal structure does not address land-based
sources and activities specifically with respect to marine plastics
and microplastics; land-based activities vary significantly in the
regional instruments.
Creating the enabling environment for
plastics value chain management
Need a stronger framework
of policies, regulatory and
fiscal drivers to achieve
ambitions on circular
economy
Working along the plastic value chain towards
integrated solutions and shared value
Global level recommendations to address the key
hotspots / intervention points, through:
- Measurement and monitoring
- Planning, Policy, Strategy
- Innovation and solutions
- Finance and investments
Leveraging existing activities, networks and
partnerships.
• To support achieving the SDGs:
Recommendations for most impactful
actions, along value chains
Adapted from Marine Litter vital Graphics, Grid Arendal, 2015
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• New business models that maximize reuse of plastics
• Disseminate Extended Producers Responsibility
• Enhance conditions for recyclability – design for
recyclability
• Role of public procurement and eco-labeling
• Consumers awareness; take into consideration
cultural barriers to behavioural change
• Strengthen waste and wastewater infrastructure
• Role of the informal sector
Close the “action” gap
Thank you
https://www.unenvironment.org/
Elisa Tonda
Head, Consumption and Production Unit
Economy Division, UN Environment Programme