Group pushes toxic plastic ban

THE Ecowaste Coalition called for a total prohibition of toxic plastics after the conclusion of the Plastics Treaty 4th Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) on Thursday.

During the forum, a draft text outlining pathways to a global agreement on addressing the overproduction of plastic was produced.

«In a positive development, the draft text includes options for addressing the overproduction of plastic and eliminating toxic chemicals throughout the plastics life cycle. While these and other key issues remain, leadership from the [chairman] helped move the overall talks forward and create a plan for technical work groups before INC-5 in November in Korea,» the group said in a statement.

EcoWaste National Coordinator Aileen Lucero

EcoWaste National Coordinator Aileen Lucero said a key solution to plastic pollution is reduced production and the prohibition of plastics with toxic additives.

Lucero, co-chairman of the International Pollutants Elimination Network, added that environmentally sound policies should be prioritized by the treaty signatories.

«Techno-fixes, including chemical recycling, co-processing in cement kilns, co-firing in coal-fired power plants, and waste-to-energy incineration, will not solve the plastic pollution crisis,» she said.

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Earlier this week, EcoWaste, along with other Philippine environmental groups, called on corporations to cut down on the production of single-use plastics and to stop the use of toxic additives on plastics.