ACHIEVING A HISTORIC AND AMBITIOUS GLOBAL TREATY !
On June 8, 2018, the NGO No More Plastic was born, on the occasion of World Oceans Day, with the mission of raising public awareness about plastic pollution. Through our actions, we have contributed to introducing the term "microplastic" into common language and raising awareness about the health issues related to this contamination.
Five years ago, in June 2018, National Geographic published its special issue "Plastic Apocalypse: Planet or Plastic?"
A groundbreaking issue that already set the tone: deplasticize our planet.
Paradoxically, although the entire world has become aware that this issue represents one of the major environmental, societal, economic, and health challenges of our century, the production of this toxic material has only increased over the past five years.
It has gone from 359 million tons in 2018 to over 460 million tons in 2022 and is expected to exceed 600 million tons by 2030, according to forecasts by the International Energy Agency.
Packaging and the textile industry are the two main contributors to this alarming and exponential inflation.
Plastic pollution is primarily an invisible pollution.
It starts long before the appearance of waste. Each plastic product generates micro- and nanoplastics throughout its lifecycle.
An ordinary example?
Simply wearing sneakers releases microfragments of plastic into the environment with every step.
The circular economy is now used as an excuse to advocate for the recycling of this material. However, it is misleading to continue to believe that recycling is part of the solution to reduce this pollution. We must stop promoting this ideology and the commercial interests it serves, benefiting a few at the expense of everyone. Because the goal of achieving 100% recycled plastic is heretical and a health nonsense. Plastic is a harmful material that, when put back into circulation, poisons us again and compromises the future of future generations.
The facts are alarming. We ingest the equivalent of a credit card worth of microplastics every week. Micro- or nanoplastics enter our bodies through the air, water, food, as well as through cosmetics or hygiene products (toothpaste, creams, lipsticks, sanitary towels), or synthetic clothing.
Women, children, and especially babies are the most vulnerable populations to this exposure. Plastic particles are ten times more present in the stools of infants than in adults. Their presence in the blood, breast milk, and placenta of pregnant women, from which they can pass to the fetus, has also been demonstrated by recent research.
A growing body of studies also sheds light on the detrimental effects of these microplastics on health. They can damage human cells and adhere to the external membranes of red blood cells, limiting their ability to transport oxygen.
Links have been established between plastic and infertility and immunity problems, as well as the increase in chronic diseases such as diabetes, Crohn's disease, endometriosis, cardiovascular diseases, breast cancer, and colon cancer.
Faced with this health emergency, it is imperative to take strong measures to eradicate this pollution by drastically reducing plastic production.
This year, France was hosting the second negotiation session on the international treaty against plastic pollution, with conclusions expected for 2024. This commitment - the most significant since the Paris Agreement on climate - could mark a historic turning point in the fight against plastic. With it, we have a unique opportunity to eradicate this global scourge if courageous decisions are adopted.
Therefore, we urge all governments to act in favor of a sustainable solution to plastic pollution in order to create a sustainable future.
We demand that industries using virgin or recycled plastic in their products be prohibited from using the terms "eco-friendly" or any other adjective in their marketing strategies and advertisements that suggest that this material contributes to the well-being of the planet, under penalty of legal sanctions for deceptive business practices.
Furthermore, we request that any company producing and selling plastic-based products be obliged to mention that they release micro-particles into the air and water during their use and washing, warning about the risks they pose to our health upon contact with the skin or the body.
We advocate for the creation of a fund dedicated to the emergence of a "plastic-free economy," financed by all the industries contributing to this health and ecological crisis through their practices. Their participation would be calculated proportionally to the volume of plastic or recycled plastic packaging they produce or market each year.
We call on governments to allocate 1 billion euros towards the establishment and advancement of the "plastic-free economy" fund, aimed at fostering the implementation and growth of groundbreaking solutions. One such solution deserving attention is the utilization of enzyme strains capable of effectively eliminating plastic.
Finally, we request that donations made by citizens to contribute to this fund be 100% tax-exempt. It is urgent that research on plastic pollution progresses rapidly. Our future and that of the planet are at stake.
We call for an immediate cessation of the exportation of plastic waste from the West to Asia and Africa. It is time to stop treating them as the world's "dumping grounds."
We find ourselves in a pivotal moment of unparalleled transformations in human history.
Together, let us reshape the course of history through this groundbreaking treaty.
Each and every one of us plays a vital role in crafting the solution. We are the solution.
We must not succumb to the overwhelming plastic wave.
It is not an inevitability but rather one of the greatest challenges we must confront.
Let us seize this opportunity to rise above and meet the challenge head-on.
No More Plastic Foundation was a partner of the 8th Week of Positive Cinema, from May 24 to 27, 2023, under the auspices of the Cannes Film Festival.
Established in 2016 by Positive Planet, this week dedicated to cinema that changes our perspective on the world, awakens consciences, questions the world, and puts its arts at the service of future generations.
Positive Cinema Week brings people together, moves boundaries, influences our ways of thinking and our behaviors, and invites citizens from around the world to engage.
No More Plastic Foundation was also proud to partner with National Geographic to present a captivating temporary exhibition of Mandy Barker's photographs during the Cannes Film Festival.
This temporary exhibition aims to contribute to global awareness of this crucial issue, as France hosts the second session of negotiations on the international treaty against plastic pollution.
Continuing the momentum of this exhibition, Rosalie Mann, the founder and President of No More Plastic, wrote the article "The Heresy of Recycled Plastic" in the June issue of National Geographic France magazine, released on May 30th, 2023.
