‘Avoidance and prudence’ vital for fighting plastic pollution: Expert
AN ACADEMIC advises applying the principle of “avoidance and prudence” to guide plastic use for both individuals and states.
Sedat Gündoğdu, a marine biologist at Çukurova University in Adana, Türkiye, emphasized the importance of this approach during his involvement with a coalition of scientists advocating for a robust plastics agreement.
“Together with this coalition, we are trying to voluntarily provide scientific information to states participating in negotiations of a U.N. plastics agreement for use in negotiations,” he said.
On the plastic treaty negotiations in Nairobi, Kenya, he said a final version of the deal is expected in 2025.
He mentioned three past treaty negotiations in Uruguay, Kenya, and France, with the fourth scheduled for Canada in April.
“On the agreement’s content, he mentioned the publication of a zero draft offering multiple options for addressing pollution and production related to all types of plastics, including chemicals used, provided to states.”
He noted that major oil-producing states, such as Iran, China, Saudi Arabia, and Russia, have formed a coalition of ‘like-minded countries’ advocating for the removal and rewriting of items from the zero draft during negotiations.
Gündoğdu stated: “We advocate for agreement on Article A, with 61% of member states supporting our position.”
If states can manage to have a consensus on the article, then “it will ultimately result in a situation such as reducing plastic production by close to 40% in the next five or 10 years,” said Gündoğdu. “If there is nothing irreconcilable about this and Article A does not contain any requests regarding the production of plastic, contains initiatives and legal binding, then this agreement will become a stillborn agreement like the Paris Climate Agreement.” Principle of avoidance and prudence On what individuals can do to reduce the contamination of ecosystems with plastic and reduce the use of the material, Gündoğdu said individual precautions might fall short as it is a “systematical issue.”
He highlighted excessive plastic production and the lack of transparency regarding its chemical content. Despite this, he noted individual actions can mitigate plastic’s impact and exposure.
Underlining the importance of applying “the principle of avoidance and prudence” universally, he indicated: “It is only through behaviors and consumption habits that you should stay away from plastic as much as possible and not require the need to use plastic as much as possible.”
Gündoğdu urged states to implement comprehensive deposit return systems covering all packaging types and emphasizing reuse. He also recommended mandatory refillable stands in grocery stores to promote the use of reusable containers.
He cautioned about the presence of nano plastics in bottled water, stressing the need for drinkable fountain water to reduce reliance on plastic bottles, stating, “Ensuring this should again be one of the main tasks of local governments.”
He stressed the importance of increased investment in waste management infrastructure by local governments, emphasizing its significance over other services like paving and landscaping.
“It is very important both from the point of view of community health, environmental health and from the point of view of the economy,” he said. “Because we cause many resources to be wasted in garbage due to insufficient waste management.”