Plastic Removal Technologies (PRTs) promise to improve environmental quality by removing plastics from the environment, but they can also threaten biodiversity. Almost no environmental impact assessments (EIAs) are done on PRTs.
Unselective PRTs can alter habitats and catch plants and animals. Manual collection selectively removes plastic, but it is limited in efficiency and effectiveness. Municipalities and communities ultimately bear the burden of plastics removal. Some PRT examples are discussed in this fact sheet.
Plastics are a source of pollution throughout their full life cycle, releasing hazardous chemicals, macroplastics, micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs), and greenhouse gases (GHG) to the entire ecosphere. This policy brief focuses on the direct and indirect human health hazards associated with all forms of plastic pollution across the plastics life cycle. Read and download the[…]
Plastics are a source of pollution throughout their entire life cycle from extraction, involving releases of greenhouse gases (GHGs), micro- and nanoplastic (MNPs) contamination, and hazardous chemicals such as endocrine disruptors, causing exposure to humans and the environment. This policy brief focuses on plastic chemicals of concern, which spans from extraction of feedstocks, through conversions[…]
This policy brief addresses the issue of microplastic pollution and highlights the need for global policy interventions to reduce microplastic emissions and safeguard ecosystems and public health. Read and download it here: ENGLISH VERSION -> Addressing Microplastic Pollution via the Global Plastic Treaty_Scientists’ Coalition_21.08.24_v2 VERSION FRANÇAISE -> Lutter contre la pollution microplastique via le Traité[…]
Letter sent to Ambassador Vayas Valdivieso and Executive Secretary Mathur-Filipp on behalf of the Scientists’ Coalition, requesting clarification on the composition and the procedure for participation in the ad hoc intersessional open-ended expert groups, dated 21st May 2024.
The Essential Use Concept can help to guide decision making for eliminating and minimising risks from non-essential, hazardous and unsustainable plastics. The Montreal Protocol demonstrates the success of the Essential Use Concept in protecting the ozone layer; this policy brief describes how it can be adopted in the Global Plastics Treaty through the development of[…]