EARTHDAY.ORG Calls for a Global Plastics Treaty

(Washington, D.C./Nairobi) — Plastic pollution is one of the most fundamental issues threading the health of humans, animals, and ecosystems worldwide. Micro-plastics are found everywhere, from mountaintops to the deepest oceans – and now even inside human beings. Unfortunately, addressing the crisis is beyond the ability of any single country, and despite the growing global consensus, no multilateral efforts have existed to combat this issue until now.

In 2018, EARTHDAY.ORG launched a global campaign, End Plastics Pollution, to eliminate single use plastics and support regulations for the disposal of plastics. These efforts have led to increased actions by activists, corporations, and governments worldwide.

Last year, Peru and Rwanda introduced a new draft resolution to create a global legal framework regulating the use of plastic. The resolution is being discussed at the fifth session of the United Nations Environmental Assembly (UNEA-5.2) in February 2022 and has so far been endorsed by over 700 civil society groups from 113 countries, creating an unprecedented momentum to push for real change.

Through its 2022 theme, Invest in Our Planet, EARTHDAY.ORG is bringing together communities, governments, and corporations to meet these challenges through policy changes and innovation. 

EARTHDAY.ORG is calling on government leaders across the globe to: 

• Negotiate a new legally binding global instrument on plastic pollution, including measures along the entire life cycle of plastic
• Promote a circular economy action plan and ban single-use plastic
• Establish a common structure that is consistent and complementary with national and regional action plans
• Enhance investment planning and stimulate innovation to prevent plastic from entering any ecosystem
• Support research and funding of innovations related to plastic alternatives

EARTHDAY.ORG will have a strong presence at the UNEA conference and will be presenting panels on the global plastics treaty and further action to combat plastic pollution. 

“Plastics and climate are the most pressing issues facing our planet today – and both have ties to fossil fuels,” notes Kathleen Rogers, President of EARTHDAY.ORG. “We must – and we can – overcome these challenges through global action – and innovation.”

For more information on EARTHDAY.ORG’s plastic pollution resources, please visit: https://www.earthday.org/campaign/cleanup/

Kathleen Rogers, President, EARTHDAY.ORG is available for virtual interviews. Jean-Betrand Mhandu, Africa Regional Director, EARTHDAY.ORG; Derrick Mugisha, Africa Regional Director, EARTHDAY.ORG; Zuhair Kowshik, Manager, Bangladesh, EARTHDAY.ORG; will be present at UNEA 5.2 and are available for in-person or virtual interviews. 

For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact: EARTHDAY.ORG Communications [email protected] or 202-355-8875.

ABOUT EARTHDAY.ORG:
EARTHDAY.ORG’s mission is to diversify, educate, and activate the environmental movement worldwide. Growing out of the first Earth Day (1970), EARTHDAY.ORG is the world’s largest recruiter to the environmental movement, working with more than 150,000 partners in nearly 192 countries to build environmental democracy. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day actions each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world. Learn more at earthday.org.