Moldova joins international fight against pollution with plastic through promotion of global treaty

Chisinau, 9 December /MOLDPRES/ - Moldova, along with 178 countries, have participated in the fifth round of negotiations for the working out of a global treaty against the plastic pollution. The event took place within the intergovernmental Committee on negotiation on plastic pollution, organized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in Busan, South Korea. Moldova was represented by the state secretary at the Environment Ministry, Grigore Stratulat.    

The treaty proposed includes measures, through which the countries will be obliged to reduce the use of plastic, to use less harmful materials and to promote its recycling. The participants in the event also discussed the replacement of the plastic products by sustainable alternatives.

Another important item of the discussions was the need to create a Financial Mechanism, which is to provide additional resources for the implementation of the measures proposed. ‘’Moldova is committed to implement mechanisms of Extended Producer Responsibility (REP); yet, we need additional support to  develop an efficient infrastructure of recycling plastic,’’ Stratulat said.     

The main goal of this treaty is to reduce the plastic pollution till 2040, especially in the marine environment. According to studies, over 90 per cent of the plastic produced globally is not recycled and 20 million tons of plastic annually reach the nature, often just minutes after its use. In 2019, the mankind generated about 460 million tons of plastic – a quantity which doubled against 2000. This tendency runs the risk of doubling in 2040.         

The international legal instrument against the plastic pollution will include proposals on regulation of the production and use of plastic materials, promotion of sustainable alternatives, efficient strategies of recycling, as well as public education initiatives for the enhancement of the degree of awareness of the plastic’s impact on the environment.