Environmental campaigner Martin Cooper writes on the uncertainty of recycling schemes this month. 

A group called Everyday Plastic tracked the soft plastic collected at major supermarkets Sainsbury’s and Tesco to find out what exactly happens to it.

The results were shocking, with around 70 per cent of the plastic collected actually being burned rather than recycled.

The fact is, recycling as a solution to our plastic rubbish, isn’t working.

Manufacturers continue to produce far more plastic than our waste management system can deal with and a significant reduction in plastic production is the only way we can tackle this crisis.

This month, governments will come together in Busan, Republic of Korea, for the fifth and final round of negotiations for a global treaty to end plastic pollution - a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a global solution to our worsening worldwide crisis.

It is an international agreement aimed at addressing the growing crisis of plastic waste and pollution.

Known as the ‘United Nations Treaty on Plastic Pollution’, the treaty is meant to create a legally binding framework to address the entire lifecycle of plastics, from production to disposal and objectives include reducing plastic production and consumption, promoting sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics and establishing a circular economy approach to plastics.

Negotiations began in 2022, with the goal of finalising the agreement by 2024, and last month the UK signed the Bridge to Busan declaration – a statement signed by 40 countries at the United Nations affirming the need for global cuts to plastic production, so the signs are positive.

Significant progress has been made, however, the specific commitments are still being debated among participating nations, and there’s no doubt the plastic industry will also have something to say.

The treaty’s potential impact on the environment is not insignificant, and if successful could lead to a substantial reduction in plastic waste entering oceans and ecosystems, reduced microplastic pollution in food chains and water sources and a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions associated with plastic production.

It would also force increased innovation in sustainable materials and packaging which is definitely what we need.

While success will largely depend on the commitment from participating countries and the strength of their local enforcement, the global plastics treaty has the potential to significantly reduce plastic pollution and its environmental impacts, pushing the problem away from consumers who have little option, back to governments and manufacturers who can really make a difference.