The European Parliament vice president, NGOs, scientists and 35 MEPs have signed an open letter demanding an “ambitious and legally binding” Plastics Treaty.
Signatories have also demanded corporations start measuring their plastic footprint. Swiss non-profit EA Environmental Action sponsored the creation of the letter.
Ten cross-party Ministers of European Parliament (MEPs) have signed the letter, including the Vice President of the European Parliament, Heidi Hautala MEP.
Signatories are calling on global governments to sign an “ambitious and legally binding” Global Plastics Treaty by 2025 while improving viable waste management systems and “urgently” clamping down on plastic production.
The letter reads: “We must reset the course of the plastic pollution crisis and put protecting the health of humans and all living things at the heart of the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations.”
Commenting on the open letter, Julien Boucher PhD, Founder and CEO at EA Environmental Action, said: “To lower risks for society, businesses, and the planet, we must redesign our plastic systems incorporating more circularity and better chemistry.
“This also requires addressing the discrepancy between the amount of plastic being produced and used, and the capacity of our systems to manage that plastic.”
“Plastic Overshoot Day demonstrates how significant of a gap exists here. We need to act now to assess and reduce our plastic footprints and impacts on global ecosystems and our health. This must happen both at the country level and the company level.”
