Dear Reader,
| This week, a collaborative analysis led by the Centre for International Environmental Law found fossil fuel lobbyists outnumber national delegations, scientists, and Indigenous peoples at UN Plastics Treaty Negotiations. The UK government announced a ban on plastic wet wipes. According to research by the 5 Gyres Institute, 60 firms are responsible for the world’s plastic packaging pollution. The European Parliament approved legislation that would ban certain single-use plastic packaging and mandate Deposit Return Schemes for Member States. Finally, the government has confirmed that the UK’s Deposit Return Scheme has been delayed to 2027. |
As always, we hope you enjoy reading.
John Higginson
Editor-in-Chief
Plastic Free Post
Fossil Fuel lobbyists outnumber national delegations, scientists, and Indigenous peoples at UN Plastics Treaty negotiations
| Amazon created 208 million pounds of plastic packaging in the US in 2022, equal to An analysis from the Centre for International Environmental Law (CIEL), in collaboration with ten other leading organisations, found 196 fossil fuel and chemical industry lobbyists have registered for the critical fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) to advance a global plastics treaty. The 37 percent increase in lobbyists from INC-3 shows that the footprint of industry lobbyists is progressively increasing as calls for the treaty to address plastic production grow both inside and outside the negotiations. |
UK bans plastic wet wipes
| Eight out of 10 people support cutting plastic production revealed a Greenpeace The UK government has confirmed a ban on wet wipes containing plastic following a public consultation last year wherein 95 percent of respondents supported a definitive ban. According to Defra’s beach litter monitoring data, an average of 20 wet wipes were found per 100 metres of beach across the UK between 2015 and 2020. Not only do wet wipes contain harmful plastics, but according to Water UK which represents the water industry, wet wipes flushed down toilets cause 93 percent of sewer blockages and cost around £100 million a year to clear up. Campaigners have welcomed the announcement but have pressured the government to tackle all single-use plastics with similar bans and support businesses in the transition to reuse. |
60 firms are responsible for half the world’s plastic pollution
| The study conducted by the 5 Gyres Institute concluded that for every percentage increase in plastic produced, there was an equivalent increase in plastic pollution in the environment. An international team of volunteers collected and surveyed more than 1,870,000 items of plastic waste across 84 countries over five years, the branded half of the plastic waste originated from just 56 fast-moving consumer goods multinational companies, and a quarter of that was from just six companies. |
Read more here.
EU Parliament backs clampdown on single-use plastic packaging
| The European Parliament approved a proposed law that would ban certain single-use plastic packaging like mini shampoo bottles in hotels and thin plastic bags for groceries, in an attempt to curb the rising tide of packaging waste. The law would ban in the EU, from 2030, single-use plastic packaging items for fruit and vegetables, condiments in fast food restaurants, thin plastic bags for groceries and mini cosmetics bottles in hotels. Countries will also be required to ensure that at least 90 percent of single-use plastic bottles and cans are collected each year from 2029, through deposit return systems, to ensure more plastic is recycled rather than sent to landfill. |
Deposit Return Scheme delayed to 2027- UK
| Petcore, the association representing the complete PET value chain in Brussels, notes that around 800,000 tonnes of recycled PET are required to meet the mandatory coPlans to introduce a nationwide recycling scheme next year that would allow the public to return their used drink bottles and cans in exchange for rewards and discounts have been delayed by a further two years, with the scheme now not expected to go live until 2027. Today’s statement confirms that agreements have still not been reached on whether glass bottles should be included in the scheme, how much the additional deposit cost level should be on drinks in eligible containers, nor on the universal logo that should be used on DRS-eligible drinks containers. |
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