The Iraqi Ministry of Environment presented a comprehensive review of the issue of plastic pollution in the world, the ongoing negotiations on it, and its vision for resolving this serious environmental issue, which includes solutions to enhance the circular economy for plastic products and rid them of chemicals that are hazardous to human health and the environment .
At the same time, the ministry warned that imposing any obstacles to the production or consumption of plastic products would lead to dire economic and developmental consequences .
Louay Sadiq Al-Mukhtar, Director of the Chemicals Department and National Focal Point for the Minamata Convention and Negotiations on Plastic Pollution, said that 430 million tons of plastic are produced annually, and 19-23 million tons leak annually into aquatic systems, which is approximately 5% of the plastic produced into aquatic systems .
He explained that only 10% of plastic waste is recycled, 66% of plastic produced is short-lived or single-use, 46% of plastic waste goes to landfills, and 22% of plastic waste is poorly managed, which suffocates marine wildlife, harms soil and poisons groundwater, and can cause serious health effects .
This came during his participation as a speaker in the roundtable of the “Ecomen” Global Forum at the 29th Conference of the Parties on Climate Change, currently being held in Baku, on the main issues of long-term sustainable development of the global economy .
Al-Mukhtar added that the amount of plastic in the oceans is estimated at 75-199 million tons, and it causes fatal and sub-fatal effects on whales, seals, turtles, birds, fish, as well as invertebrates such as shellfish, plankton, worms and coral reefs. Its effects include entanglement, starvation, drowning, internal tissue rupture, suffocation, deprivation of oxygen and light, physiological stress and toxic damage .
Plastic can also alter the global carbon cycle by impacting plankton and primary production in marine, freshwater and terrestrial systems, he said, noting that marine ecosystems, particularly mangroves, seagrasses, coral reefs and salt marshes, play a major role in sequestering carbon. The more damage we inflict on oceans and coastal areas, the harder it will be for these ecosystems to offset and remain resilient to climate change .
Sadiq Al-Mukhtar stressed that the degradation of plastics in the marine environment transfers plastics, synthetic and cellulosic microfibers, toxic chemicals, metals and micropollutants into water and sediments and ultimately into marine food chains, where microplastics act as vectors for pathogens that are harmful to humans, fish and aquaculture stocks. When microplastics are ingested, they can cause changes in gene and protein expression, inflammation, disturbance of feeding behavior, reduced growth, changes in brain development, and reduced filtration and respiration rates .
He explained that in 2019, plastics produced 1.8 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions, an estimated 3.4% of global emissions, and promoting a circular economy and recycling will help reduce emissions from the production and disposal of plastic waste through landfills or incineration as well. Therefore, plastic waste management systems and the development of recycling capabilities are the optimal solution to this problem, in addition to sustainable consumption systems .
In March 2022, at the resumed fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2) , a landmark resolution was adopted to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment .
Resolution 5/14 requested the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to convene an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) to develop an instrument to end plastic pollution based on a comprehensive approach addressing the entire life cycle of plastics, with the ambition to complete its work by the end of 2024 .
Four meetings have been held, leaving only the fifth meeting, scheduled for the end of this month, which represents a crucial point in the negotiations necessary to reach the text of the instrument .
Al-Mukhtar pointed out that the invention of synthetic polymers and plastic products has achieved an important global revolution in human civilizational development. Plastic products have been an important and effective alternative to many materials and products of natural origin, the consumption of which leads to the depletion of those resources, or exposes biodiversity to many serious risks, such as: the consumption of animal skins or bones, or natural ivory or plant products such as: rubber, wood and paper resulting from cutting trees .
He pointed out that plastic has provided an opportunity for all segments of society equally to obtain different products despite class differences, due to its low price, quality and wide range of uses, stressing that the entire world still needs plastic and products containing it or that depend on its presence and wide contributions .
Al-Mukhtar also warned that imposing any obstacles to the production or consumption of plastic products would lead to dire economic and developmental consequences, and to unexpected environmental complications, and would mainly affect the poor and middle classes in society and increase their suffering .
He concluded his speech by saying that there are more than ten thousand chemical substances added to plastic products, which makes the risks of these products to users numerous and unidentified, and requires that the upcoming agreement include clear mechanisms based on science to restrict and prevent a number of these chemical substances that have been proven to be dangerous to humans .
It is noteworthy that Iraq has co-chaired, with Germany and Blau, the open-ended international expert group within the ongoing negotiations on plastic pollution.
