- AMCS Plastics Campaign Manager Cip Hamilton attending treaty negotiations in Ottawa, Canada, from 23 to 29 April
- Recycling won’t solve the problem – plastic pollution is global crisis that urgently needs global response
- A turtle has a 22% chance of dying if it eats just one piece of plastic
A global plastics treaty is our best opportunity to stop the plastic pollution crisis, but only if it prioritises cutting plastic production, the Australian Marine Conservation Society said on the eve of the fourth round of negotiations in Canada to develop a treaty.
AMCS Plastics Campaign Manager Cip Hamilton is attending the fourth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4), where nations are working on an international legally binding agreement to end plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.
AMCS Plastics Campaign Manager Cip Hamilton said: “AMCS continues to advocate for a plastics treaty that cuts plastic production, and supports reuse ahead of substituting single-use plastics with other disposable materials.
“Plastic is a global pollution crisis. Our lives are wrapped in plastic. It’s in the food we eat, what we drink and the clothes we wear – global packaging corporations are making it impossible to avoid needless plastics.
“Plastic is being produced at an unmanageable pace and continues to devastate our environment. An estimated 11 million tonnes of plastic waste enters our oceans every year, and that figure is expected to triple by 2040 if we do not take action. Our once pristine beaches are becoming a dumping ground for plastics. A turtle has a 22% chance of dying if it eats just one piece of plastic.
“We can help end the global plastics crisis by working together to develop a global treaty that stops the production of needless plastic. We need a robust, ambitious and enforceable treaty to end plastic pollution.
“AMCS is attending the fourth round of global treaty negotiations to show the world that Australians want action to end the production of needless plastic. AMCS is here to provide the Australian Government with expertise on impacts of plastic pollution on our oceans and give our supporters an on the ground voice in Ottawa.
“The third round of negotiations ended in deadlock, with large plastic-producing nations refusing to agree to any measures to cut plastic. There must be substantial progression in developing the treaty text at INC-4.”