プラスチック環境かんきょう汚染おせん防止ぼうし 国際こくさい条約じょうやく目指めざす会議かいぎ 協議きょうぎは難航なんこう

In order to prevent environmental pollution caused by plastics, a conference being held in Switzerland aiming to establish the first international treaty is reaching its scheduled final day on the 14th. However, there are differences of opinion among countries, especially regarding whether to include regulations on the amount of plastic production, and the discussions are facing difficulties.

This meeting was established following the resolution of the United Nations Environment Assembly in 2022 and has continued with the aim of finalizing the treaty. It resumed on August 5 in Geneva, Switzerland. Representatives from approximately 180 countries and regions are participating in this meeting.

Meetings at the ministerial level and others are being held ahead of the final day scheduled for the 14th. While the EU European Union and Pacific island nations are insisting on the need to regulate the production volume of plastics, oil-producing countries such as Saudi Arabia, which supply the raw materials for plastics, are pushing back.

Furthermore, the delegation participating for the first time from the Trump administration in the United States has also shown a reluctant attitude toward regulating plastic production, and differences of opinion continue.

In the draft treaty released on the 9th, which reflects the discussions held so far, various proposals are listed regarding issues such as regulating the production of plastics. According to Tuvalu, which issued a statement on behalf of the group of Pacific island nations, there are over 1,000 sections where the wording has not been agreed upon, making the negotiations difficult.

On the 13th, a new chairpersons draft was presented, but it no longer included provisions directly related to regulating the amount of plastic production. As a result, there was a series of objections from countries seeking stricter regulations, saying it was unacceptable, among other criticisms.

The conference is scheduled to reach its final day on the 14th, but there are opinions that an extension will be unavoidable, and attention is focused on whether the countries can coordinate and finalize the treaty.

The European Union EU is promoting recycling policies, such as regulating the distribution of single-use plastic products.

While receiving support from such policies, some companies are expanding their businesses. Among them, the French manufacturer Le Pavé, which produces building materials and other products, uses only plastic waste collected mainly within the country as materials for its products.

The scale of their business expanded after they won contracts to provide podiums and some stadium seats for last year’s Paris Olympics and Paralympics, which aimed to reduce single-use plastics. As a result, the total amount of recycled plastic has now exceeded 1,000 tons.

Marius Amrault, CEO of Le Pavé, reflected, The Paris Olympics were a perfect opportunity to show that high-quality recycled products and a circular economy can go hand in hand.

On the other hand, it has been pointed out that the prices of plastic products made from recycled materials tend to be higher than regular products due to costs such as processing.

Amuro, the CEO, said, Many companies only use recycled plastic products when they are cheaper than regular plastic.

The market is seeking sustainable solutions, but only on the condition that they do not sacrifice the advantages of conventional plastics, he said, adding that in order to reduce plastic waste, it is necessary to enhance the competitiveness of recycled products.

Looking at the breakdown, thermal recycling, which involves recovering heat generated from incineration and using it for power generation and other purposes, accounts for a little over 60%, while material recycling, which uses used products as materials for new products, makes up a little over 20%, and so on.

Regarding this situation, experts have pointed out the need to increase recycling methods in areas other than incineration, which have less environmental impact, from the perspective of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

This scrubbing brush is entirely handmade by the employees. They cut worn or torn fishing nets into pieces about 40 centimeters square, shape them with an iron, and then fold them into palm-sized bundles.

The reason for starting sales was a desperate measure taken to protect employment when sales of marine products and other processed goods declined during the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, due to its reputation for being durable, easy to foam, and effective at removing dirt, as well as the growing environmental awareness, about 15,000 units were sold last year, making it so popular that production can hardly keep up.

In the past, this company used to give away or dispose of unused fishing nets for free, but now their own fishing nets are not enough, so they purchase unused fishing nets from other fishermen to meet orders.

Mr. Chiyota Takeshita, president of Tenyo-maru, said, I started selling things that were only going to be disposed of, hoping it would be nice if they could make some money, and they sold, so now theyre being used again, which Im grateful for.

He said, I want people who buy it to think of the fishermen beyond the nets and to be conscious of how it connects to eco-friendliness.

It is undoubtedly true that a recycling-oriented society is a major direction, a vector, and above all, the trend of thinking in terms of actively using recycled materials is becoming much stronger.

On top of that, in order for the idea of properly using recycled materials to take root in society, common rules and time are needed.

It has been pointed out that there should be government support to firmly back up areas where individual companies cannot make decisions on their own.

On top of that, regarding the international treaty being discussed in Switzerland, there are challenges such as the effort and cost involved in handling contaminants when it comes to recycling for plastic reuse. However, in recent years, there has been a considerable increase in the number of businesses that are seriously considering using recycled plastics, and I think many people are interested in what will happen with the international treaty.

I strongly feel that I dont want to discourage the mindset of people who are willing to take on challenges, he said.