We are deeply worried that the 10-day intense negotiations and efforts to secure an international legally binding treaty on plastic pollution ended in Geneva, Switzerland, recently, without reaching any agreement on a final text on how best to contain what is turning out to be a global threat to aquatic and terrestrial existence.
The resumed fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2), which brought together over 2,600 participants, including 1,400 delegates from 183 countries, has the mandate of navigating tough terrains of legal, cultural and environmental challenges and differences in finding ways of saving humanity from itself.
We deeply share in the optimism of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) that despite the lack of consensus in the talks which also involved nearly 1,000 observers from more than 400 organisations and around 100 Ministers, Vice Ministers, and high-level representatives, member states who agreed to resume talks at a date yet to be announced signaled a shared determination to continue the process.
The goal of INC-5.2 was to agree on the instrument’s text and highlight unresolved issues requiring further preparatory work ahead of a diplomatic conference.
Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) is carrying the burden of ensuring that the aspirations of the hard-fought 10 days negotiations which held against the backdrop of geo-political complexities, economic challenges, and multilateral strains, remain clear: that despite these complexities, all countries clearly want to remain at the table.
While participants did not yet sign the treaty text they had hoped for, UNEP will continue the work against plastic pollution — pollution that is in our groundwater, in our soil, in our rivers, in our oceans, and yes, in our bodies.
Although we are aware that the Geneva session aimed to finalize the treaty text and identify unresolved issues ahead of a planned diplomatic conference, we insist that failure to reach set goals should not bring sadness, even frustration; it should not lead to discouragement.
On the contrary, it should spur the global community to regain energy, renew commitments, and unite aspirations.
There is no shame in admitting the fact that proliferation of plastic waste presents a growing environmental menace in Nigeria and indeed globally, with significant impacts on ecosystems, human health, and the economy.
Therefore, addressing this challenge requires a shift towards a circular economy, promoting waste reduction, reuse, and recycling, while also implementing effective waste management strategies.
Plastic waste, particularly single-use plastics, accumulates in landfills, pollutes waterways and oceans, and persists in the environment for centuries, harming wildlife and ecosystems. Plastics can release harmful chemicals into the environment, potentially contaminating soil and water sources and affecting human health.
Besides these, improper waste management leads to increased costs for cleanup, healthcare, and environmental damage. Regrettably, large amounts of plastic waste are not recycled, representing a lost opportunity to recover valuable materials and resources.
It is very obvious that the production and disposal of plastic, including incineration, contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, exacerbating climate change.
In advocating solutions to the menace posed to human existence and economic activities by the wrongful management of plastic waste, we suggest the promotion of reusable alternatives to single-use plastics, such as cloth bags and reusable containers.
Nigeria must invest in robust waste collection and recycling infrastructure, including sorting facilities and recycling plants. In implementing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), the government should hold producers accountable for the end-of-life management of their plastic packaging, thus encouraging them to design for recyclability and take back their products.
A shift from a linear “take-make-dispose” model to a circular model that minimizes waste and maximizes resource utilization should be adopted. These will come in addition to exploring new technologies for recycling plastics, such as chemical recycling and waste-to-energy conversion.
Governments need to implement policies and regulations that support waste reduction, recycling, and sustainable production practices.
We argue that the life style of Nigerians, where the display of a high degree of I don’t care attitude leading to the indiscriminate disposal of plastic waste is a huge embarrassment to the country, an attitude that the people hardly display when they visit advanced countries, where they are mindful of the consequences of such wrong behaviours.
For us, addressing the plastic waste menace requires a multi-faceted approach involving individuals, businesses, and governments. By embracing sustainable practices, investing in innovative solutions, and implementing effective policies, it is possible to mitigate the negative impacts of plastic waste and create a more sustainable future.
For a better society
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