In a recent press briefing titled, “Press Briefing Ahead of Plastics Treaty Talks This August,” environmental groups worldwide urged the global community to eliminate polluting single-use sachets as part of the upcoming plastics treaty. The discussion highlighted the damaging effects of sachets on ecosystems, with particular focus on the Global South. Shahriar Hossain, Secretary-General of ESDO, who joined the session as one of the experts, emphasized the need for the treaty to phase out toxic chemicals from plastics, saying, “Over 13,000 chemicals are used in plastics, with more than 3,200 classified as hazardous. This classification means that they are officially recognized to be toxic, persistent, or to have other concerning properties. Without addressing this, plastics will continue to exacerbate the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.” His remarks underscored the importance of creating non-toxic alternatives to combat the climate and pollution crises.

The session also featured various NGOs and environmental organizations, advocating for strict regulations on plastic waste. With the plastics treaty talks intensifying, the demand for urgent and effective measures to protect communities and ecosystems was clear. Participants called for global solidarity and stronger enforcement of policies to tackle plastic pollution.

This session emphasized the importance of decisive global action against plastic pollution, aiming to identify criteria for plastic products, chemicals, and product design and potential sources and means of implementation for a plastics treaty, including financial mechanisms. The outcomes will be considered at the final round of treaty negotiations (INC-5) in Busan, South Korea, on November 25 – December 1, 2024.

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