Third session for a global treaty against plastic pollution
The world’s nations gathered in Kenya from the 13th to the 19th of November 2023 to reach agreement on a treaty to combat plastic pollution.
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How can we avoid an ocean of plastic in the future, when 400 million metric tons of plastic waste pollute the environment every year and 15 metric tons of plastic are dumped into the ocean every minute?
Third round of negotiations to combat plastic pollution
From the 13th to the 19th of November, 1,900 delegates from 161 nations gathered in Nairobi, Kenya, to work on a draft text. This was the third round of negotiations.
Two more rounds are planned before the treaty is finalised in 2024, but there are still many areas of disagreement.
Some oil-producing countries (the basis of plastic production), such as Saudi Arabia, Iran and Russia, have refused to commit to a date or an amount for reducing plastic production.
What happens to plastics that get washed up in the ocean?
Plastics that are released into the oceans then break up into microplastics. They build up in marine sediments or are swallowed by animals and contaminate the food chain, threatening human health as well as the health of ecosystems.
To combat this disastrous problem, since 2022 the United Nations has been holding discussions aimed at drawing up an international agreement to limit plastic pollution.
Cutting down on plastic waste
Today, 81% of plastic products in the world are simply thrown away and only 9% of this waste is actually recycled.
While more effective recycling is essential, it must be backed up by drastic reductions in waste. If nothing is done, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) estimates that global waste production will almost triple by 2060.
TREASURE - targeting the reduction of plastic outflow into the north sea
Together with 15 partners in 5 countries, Nausicaá is taking part in the European TREASURE project, which aims to reduce the amount of plastic discharged into the North Sea.
As part of this project, Nausicaá is contributing its expertise in environmental mediation and co-creation by involving users in the design of future technological tools and communication services to support the partnership.
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