Amila Abeynayaka (Policy Researcher on Sustainable Consumption and
Production at the the IGES) and Simon Høiberg Olsen
(Senior Policy Researcher at the IGES) shed light on the limitations faced by countries in
Asia and the Pacific in actively monitoring plastics and plastic-related chemicals
– hampering the effectiveness of any future legally binding instrument on plastic pollution.
This blog forms part of a series for the IS
on plastic pollution and the Second Session of the Intergovernmental
Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution.Plastic has played an important role for human development.
However, its proper management – especially at the end of its life cycle- has not matched its consumption rate.
As a result, plastic pollution has worsened rapidly
worldwide with detrimental impacts to humans and nature. This needs to be addressed,
and the global community is now convening to hammer out the details of a future agreement on plastic
pollution. Regarding implementation, there are several capacity gaps
in such a plastics treaty, and bridging these gaps requires a multistakeholder effort. I
n this regard, the science community plays an important role in contributing to improving data
and monitoring whatsapp datacapacities ahead of a future plastics treaty.
In the process of establishing
An internationally legally binding landing page development. How does it work for me? instrument
to curb plastic pollution, the science community is in a dialogue on systems change to address the causes of plastic pollution. Such systems necessarily need to address both supply and demand
by combining the reduction of problematic and unnecessary
plastic use with a market transformation towards circularity in plastics. This can be achieved by accelerating three key shifts – reuse, recycle, and reorient and diversify – and actions to deal with the legacy of plastic pollution”[1]. Understanding the current situation and tracking progress requires monitoring and data across the plastic entire life cycle of plastics. Monitoring and reporting at national and subnational levels are essential for effectively implementing any legally binding instrument to curb future plastic pollution. However, at the bulk data moment, several developing countries in Asia and the Pacific face limitations in their ability to monitor and generate plastics and plastic-related chemicals.
Some of these limitations include:
Lack of Infrastructure: Many Asian developing
countries may lack the necessary infrastructure for comprehensive
monitoring and reporting of plastic products throughout the value chain and
pollution. This includes limited
laboratory facilities, analytical equipment,
and trained personnel. Insufficient infrastructure hinders
the collection, analysis, and interpretation of monitoring data.[2],[3]
Limited Financial Resources: Financial constraints can
impede the establishment and maintenance of monitoring and reporting
programs. Procuring advanced monitoring equipment, conducting regular sampling, and analyzing samples can be costly. In addition, limited financial resources may restrict the allocation of funds to monitoring and reporting efforts, resulting in inadequate data collection and analysis. These factors adversely affect the availability of FAIR .