Plastic pollution: the French Economic, Social and Environmental Council wants to create a legally binding international treaty
The French Economic, Social and Environmental Council (Conseil Economique, Social et Environnemental - CESE) has published an statement in response to the United Nations Environment Assembly's resolution to end plastic pollution and create a legally binding international treaty.
According to the French CESE, 81% of plastic products are thrown away within a year, including 353 million tons in 2019, of which only 9% were recycled and 19% were incinerated. Global plastic consumption is expected to increase by a factor of 2.5 by 2060, making it an urgent problem requiring an international response.
The French CESE has made 20 recommendations to better address plastic pollution at all stages of the plastic life cycle. The goal is to eliminate plastic pollution by 2040, which requires the establishment of an implementation trajectory to assess progress every three years. The French CESE also calls for the creation of a new plastic footprint indicator to assess the real impact of plastic products on the environment throughout their life cycle.
The French CESE has called for the inclusion of several international targets in the Treaty, including a ban in principle on single-use plastics by 2040 and an increase in the minimum share of recycled plastic in packaging to 50% on all products by 2050. The European Union is currently proposing a target of around 30% by 2030. States without waste collection systems should be given special support to reach this target.
The French CESE also recommended the creation of a list of product groups containing single-use plastics that should be banned, as well as the establishment of a list of the most toxic and harmful plastic additives. It has also proposed regulations to reduce the amount of plastic used in products and packaging, as well as an extended producer responsibility system for companies that manufacture plastic products.
Rebecca Bliklen
To achieve these goals, the French CESE recommends a systemic approach involving all actors, including national public policies and a sectoral approach. The necessary funding should also be made available for the transition of the most vulnerable territories and populations.
France will host the second round of negotiations on the international treaty on plastic pollution in spring 2023. The French CESE is aware of the major diplomatic role that France has to play and wanted to take up this issue to establish the conditions for an effective and historic treaty. The EESC hopes that its recommendations will be considered and implemented together, in a systemic way, to eliminate plastic pollution by 2040.
The French CESE advocates the inclusion of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and the polluter pays principle in the future Treaty. This approach is well suited for plastic management and involves all actors in the production chain. However, there is a need to provide specific support to implement this scheme in developing countries.