Leading UK marine scientists welcome the move towards a global plastics pact

“There is never going to be a one-size-fits-all solution to the global plastics crisis. However, three decades after I first began to study ocean plastics, we have reached the point where there is more than enough scientific evidence about the nature and scale of the problem. While there is a broad consensus on the need to address this issue progress to date has been piecemeal and insufficient. An agreement of this nature – endorsed by the United Nations – is needed to unite the world behind a shared ambition. It would mark a genuine step forward, mandating the world’s leaders, industries and communities to work together with scientists to apply an evidence based approach; initiating solutions that work at local scales in order to deliver real change at a global scale. In short it is essential that we change our ways and use plastics far more responsibly than we have in the past; that is the only way to realise the potential environmental benefits that plastic can bring without the rapidly accelerating levels of harm that we currently see.”

“The issue of plastics in our world’s oceans is borderless. Plastics have found their way into every corner of the marine environment, from the tropics to the polar regions, and, with plastic production continuing to increase, the detrimental impacts of plastic pollution on marine life, ecosystems and, in turn, society, will continue to spiral unless there is a step-change in how this complex issue is tackled at global level. A global agreement will facilitate communities, NGOs, businesses, and Governments to provide solutions at the local, regional and global scale. A joined-up multi-lateral approach to tackle plastic pollution will help ensure we properly deal with plastic at its end of life and work towards a circular economy, thereby protecting clean, healthy and productive seas for generations to come. Work towards a global plastics agreement would be a vital next step.”

"As a society, we cannot keep throwing things away, assuming that it will all disappear. There is no ‘away’, and what we throw away will almost certainly come back to hurt us. Here at the University of Exeter, we are pioneering new ways of tackling plastic waste and protecting the environment. We are engaged in numerous multidisciplinary projects applying circular economy theory and practice to reduce plastic waste and create value through more sustainable use of resources. A legally binding global treaty on plastics as proposed by the United Nations is exactly what is needed to support our international efforts to reduce plastic waste, protect biodiversity and build a new, regenerative global economy."

“Many studies that started out to monitor biological changes have become key to defining the ubiquitous and record-breaking nature of plastics in the environment, and their role in an era that will be known as the Anthropocene. The impacts of plastics are becoming clearer and their links to the petrochemical industry well-known, with the public actively seeking to make conscious changes and wanting to support clean and green initiatives, this agreement comes at a critical time. By globally committing to legally-binding changes surrounding the use of plastics, policy-makers and global leaders would be demonstrating their support of the environment and willingness to work toward solutions, and I believe it cannot come sooner.”