This week, the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution concluded its fourth round of contract negotiations in Ottawa, Canada. A major point of contention among negotiators from 175 countries is whether to limit the production of plastics, which are largely made from fossil fuels and chemicals and cause pollution after use because they are neither completely nor easily biodegradable.
Despite several rounds of discussions, the omnipresent plastic problem remains unsolved. A final round of talks is planned for the end of this year in South Korea.
Amid global efforts to curb plastic pollution, the United Kingdom announced last month that it would introduce legislation to ban wet wipes that contain plastic. Plastic wet wipes have been shown to release harmful microplastics into the environment after disposal.
Everyone knows that plastic bags are a burden on the environment, but what other everyday items – also called “invisible plastic” – unexpectedly contain plastic or harmful “microplastics” and is there a solution?
What are invisible plastics and “microplastics”?
These are items that do not appear to be made of plastic – such as wet wipes – but which release plastic into the environment after disposal.
“Invisible plastics are everywhere,” said Tony Walker, a professor at the School for Resource and Environmental Studies at Dalhousie University in Canada, who is also a member of the Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty.
“In terms of global plastic production, which includes things like the table I’m sitting at, the chair I’m sitting on, my computer – whatever, it probably contains some sort of plastic.”
Not all plastic needs to be eliminated, he said, especially when it is used to make furniture that can last for several decades.
The focus should be on disposable items containing plastic, he added. These contribute to the “tons of plastic sitting in our landfills,” he said, often releasing harmful microplastics into the environment.
Microplastics are tiny plastic particles that can even get into our food – for example by being broken down in the sea and ingested by fish. Walker added that even so-called “biodegradable plastic,” which is advertised as being able to decompose naturally after disposal, can contain microplastics.
What unexpected items might contain plastic?
Some other everyday items that surprisingly contain plastic include:
- chewing gum: A key ingredient in the production of chewing gum – the “chewing gum base” – actually contains polyvinyl acetate, a plastic that is not biodegradable once the chewing gum is discarded.
- Teabag: To maintain their shape while standing in hot water, most tea bags are lined with a plastic called polypropylene. The same goes for many coffee filters.
- Sun protection: Several sunscreen brands use microplastics as part of their formula.
- Aluminum cans: Many aluminum cans that contain soda are lined with plastic to prevent the soda’s acid from reacting with the metal of the can.
- Receipts: Many receipts are printed on thermal paper, which is coated with a layer of plastic to give it a glossy finish, so most paper receipts are not recyclable.
- Toiletries and laundry products: Some brands of toothpaste contain tiny plastic beads or microspheres that act as an exfoliator. These are not broken down or dissolved in water. Microspheres are also found in facial scrubs, makeup products and washing powders.
What are countries doing about this problem?
During a session of the United Nations Environment Assembly in March 2022, a groundbreaking resolution was adopted to create an international legally binding treaty to combat plastic pollution.
According to the resolution, an intergovernmental negotiating committee (INC) comprising representatives from 175 countries has held discussions with the aim of developing a draft treaty by the end of this year. Previous meetings have taken place in Uruguay, France and Kenya. The fourth session ended this week in Canada and the last will take place in South Korea between November and December.
This time there were major disagreements over limiting the amount of plastic produced worldwide.
Environmental experts believe it is crucial that they reach agreement on this issue. Plastic production continues to increase worldwide and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) predicts that if nothing changes, annual production of fossil fuel-based plastic will triple by 2060.
The head of Greenpeace in Ottawa, Graham Forbes, said it would be impossible to end plastic pollution without massively reducing plastic production.
“Current global production [of plastic] is over 400 million tons [tonnes] annually,” Walker said. “However, as a planet we only recycle 9 percent on average. This leaves 91 percent of the 400 million tons as waste.”
Why do some countries not want to reduce plastic production?
Experts say this is primarily due to economic factors.
Some “have a vested interest in making plastic products or petroleum products,” Walker explained. These countries believe that stopping plastic production would harm their economies, he added.
Will governments find a solution?
Experts are calling on the countries represented in the INC to work even harder to reach a consensus on plastics production this year.
Walker pointed out that plastic is a transboundary pollutant that crosses rivers and borders, meaning countries should have a vested interest in addressing this problem. “Plastics are now in the atmosphere, in the air that we breathe, so they actually move between continents through air currents,” Walker said.