20 - UNEP kicks off negotiations to end plastic pollution

In March this year, the resolution titled: ‘End Plastic Pollution: Towards a legally binding instrument’ was adopted to address our waste crisis. In this episode of TOMRA Talks Circular, we talk to Jacob Rognhaug, Vice President of Public Affairs, System Design at TOMRA, about the monumental negotiations that began recently to develop this legally binding instrument.

Listen to the episode below, or use your favourite platform (Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcasts)

Show Notes

• UNIP met in Uruguay to start the process of establishing a legally binding global plastics pollution treating. [01:13] 

• The first session really addressed the Rules of Procedure administrative elements. [03:08] 

• What did you actually experience in Uruguay along with these structural? [03:31]

• This is clearly a shift. [09:10] 

• What is Tomra's role in this process? [09:57] 

• So, the good news here is that systems actually exist that can dramatically reduce plastic pollution. [10:41] 

• We need to stop illegal land-filling and open burning. [12:35] 

• This was maybe a slight disappointment. [14:17] 

• There will be a draft that will send on circulation. [14:56] 

• Final thoughts. [15:52] 

Transcript

Mithu: Welcome to Tomra talk Circular, where we explore how businesses, municipalities and governments are collaborating towards a circular economy. I'm Mithu Mohren, on this show, we've talked a lot about plastic waste and the challenges the world faces and while some solutions are more Band-Aid fixes than anything else, it's generally agreed that we need something real, something that makes true impact when it comes to solving this crisis. And in fact, there might just be a promising process that just got started in Uruguay. 

The United Nations Environment Program was founded in 1972 following a landmark UN conference on the Human Environment and was charged at that time with monitoring the state of the environment, informing policymakers with science and coordinating responses to the world's environmental challenges. And I think we'd all agree those challenges. We've gotten even bigger in the last 50 years. Last week, UNIP met in Uruguay to start the process of establishing a legally binding global plastics pollution treating and Tomra was there. Joining me today is Jacob Rognhaug, vice president of public affairs system design at TOMRA. Having been in the industry for around 25 years, Yaakov is an expert in waste management and what it really takes to move towards a circular economy. Jacob welcome to the program. 

Jacob: Thank you, Mithu. It's a pleasure to be here. 

Mithu: So, Jacob, Let's, let's get into this. What is this, what is this treaty really about? 

Jacob: Yeah, so, in February this year, at the resume of the fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly, this historic resolution was adapted to start negotiations on a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, this instrument is to be based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full lifecycle of plastic promoting sustainable production and consumption from product design to environmentally sound waste management, and it's going to emphasize on resource efficiency and circular economy approaches to reach this. 

Mithu: And what does that look like, what is the process going to be? 

Jacob: But the target is to have the instrument in place by the end of 2024 in the meantime there will be 5 intergovernmental negotiation committees. The first one was last week in Uruguay and the next one will be in Paris in May next year and there will be three more than before the end of 2024. The first session really addressed the Rules of Procedure administrative elements but also peaking on the process and the topics to be discussed in the next dienste. So we are in the early stage still. 

Mithu: That's what you saw that's what happened last week, right in Uruguay. OK, so let's stick to that. What did you actually experience in Uruguay along with these structural sort of framework setting. 

Jacob: No, it was a great experience just to say that. So Tomra had the delegation of four people in Uruguay during the event and as Uruguay was hosted, it was the host nation. They also used the opportunity to announce the decision to implement the deposit return system for beverage containers. So, the Environmental Ministry of Uruguay had also asked us there to have a reverse vending machine at their booth at the venue to showcase and put some emphasis on this announcement from them. So, all in all, we were for people there. 

Mithu: How prevalent is deposit return system or DRS? Because this is also something we've talked about on this podcast is it fairly commonplace in Latin America? 

Jacob: Uruguay is the first country in Latin America to make a decision on implementing an extended producer responsibility driven DRS. This is done in when it's implemented as an extended producer responsibility scheme. It's also similar, more similar to what we see in most of Europe, US and Australia and so on. 

Mithu: OK, so this was announced anything else? 

Jacob: Yes, together with several of our partner organization, we participated also in the Multi Stakeholder Forum that was held on the 25th of November, 2 days before Dye and Sea formally started to provide input from multi stakeholders, industries and others to the negotiating parties. This is an early stage as I've said, so it's too early to really say whether this will be an effective treaty or not. But having said that, it was quite uplifting to witness the engagement demonstrated at the ANC from a wide range of countries and multi stakeholder communities. 

The call for legal measures and mandatory system is very strong, acknowledging that volunteer systems is not enough, and this is maybe the most uplifting and important take away for me personally from this event. 

Mithu: Yeah, I can imagine to actually have someone or have groups that are actually coming together to stand behind such a binding agreement. You said there were multiple stakeholders there. Who are the key players? 

Jacob: Yeah. So although all countries seem to agree to stop plastic pollution. There are maybe two different approaches represented by the countries, one is a more top-down approach with mandatory global rules and standards. The other one is a more bottom-up approach that is built up on national action plans and where targets are set by each country. This second one may be more modelled after the Paris climate agreement. 

So that a high one example of the first is the High Ambition coalition. This is a concrete coalition chaired by Norway and Rwanda. It represents today about 50 countries, including EU and UAE and its, they represent the view, which is in majority here I would say, and they are pushing for top-down elements to be part of the instrument while on the other side you have US and Saudi Arabia for example, our more promoting a treaty based on national action plans. 

Mithu: OK, so that all still has to be hammered out, I guess, what about non-governmental players, what are they talking about? What are their priorities? 

Jacob: So, at this first INC, it was organized this multi stakeholder forum and this allows for businesses, industries, environmental NGOs, civil society and more to raise their voice and provide the input. So maybe not so unexpectedly you had the environmental NGOs really promoting cutting plastic production. You had the civil society really raising the concern for informal waste pickers. You had the science environment bringing up the toxicity of plastic. All of this may be not so unexpected, but important factors to be raised and considered in the process. What was more, let's say, surprising for me is the voice from the business and the industries I think we are really seeing now that this voice is splitting up. 

For example, the business coalition for global plastic treaty coalition, chaired by EMF and WWF, it's representing more than 80 businesses, financial institutions and organizations clearly make a call for a legally binding treaty stating that national action plans is not enough and if you go back some few years. See larger brands, even some of the plastic producers calling for mandatory requirement stating that volunteer systems is not enough. This is clearly a shift. Not all businesses and industries are on there yet, and that is why I think we see now for first time. Really clear, clear Split and I hope more will move in that direction. It's really going to be interesting to see. 

To what extent the top-down elements will come through in this treaty, I think if it's only based on national action plan, this is probably not enough to accelerate and provide the speed for change that is needed. 

Mithu: OK. So, as we said you along with three Tomra colleagues were in Uruguay. So, I'm guessing we also, as industry have a role to play in. What is Tomra's role in this process? 

Jacob: So, we see we, I mean it's 50 years ago, since Toma developed the world's first reverse vending machine for collecting empty beverage containers. Today we are global leaders with sensor-based sorters in the waste and the recycling industry as well. We have experience for more than 100 countries. 

So, what we have is experience on what is working and what is not working, and we are fully committed then to bring this experience up to every player that are involved in the Treaty process to help them to form an effective treaty. 

Mithu: OK. And what does that mean exactly? What's Tomra's recommendation? 

Jacob: So, the good news here is that systems actually exist that can dramatically reduce plastic pollution and promote circular economy for plastic. But it is a fact and from our experience, these systems require regulation. So effective systems like for instance deposit return systems we could address up to 20% of all the related items found on beaches around the world. They are recorded to be beverage related up to 20% when you look at the statistics of items found on beach cleanups and well-functioning DRS will typically have collection rate far above 90%. 

So, a dramatic impact proven system mixed waste sorting before incineration and landfill we see can typically increase recycling rate by two to five times advanced mechanical recycling can actually bring other things than PT bottles back into virgin like quality. And be used into high valuable applications and thereby reducing the need for virtual material. So, these systems exist, but what we really need is mandatory policies and regulations to generate fair economic drivers for overall sustainability. So, we can effectively address plastic pollution, and this also needs to be done in a way where you have collaboration and synergies between private and public sector. 

Mithu: So, are we talking here about extended producer responsibility or are we talking about something else Jacob? 

Jacob: That is one important element. If I under this will bring up three elements. I mean one basic thing; all waste needs to be collected. We need to stop illegal landfilling and open burning and unless you collect the waste, you cannot process it and turn it back into new raw material. 

Mithu: That makes sense somehow. 

Jacob: The second element is to really set high recycling targets because when you set high targets you will immediately start looking at solutions that can deliver the performance that is needed with low targets you might embark on dead end roads with systems that are not able to bring sustainable performance and then when you have strengthened the general waste management. 

In cooperation with municipalities, you have high targets. They extend their producer responsibility, really come in to help both bringing finance to waste collection, sorting and recycling. It can help to a well-designed EPR system, help to drive a demand for new recycled material for use of recycled material and a well-designed EPR scheme can also motivate reduction, reuse and design for recycling. So it's really helping to bring a lot of important elements in place for true circularity. 

Mithu: OK, you make it sound so easy Cope makes me wonder why we're not there yet. So, what are the next steps in this process? 

Jacob: So, the formal process. So, in Uruguay now there was a couple of items in the rule of procedures that were not concluded. This was maybe a slight disappointment, that it was targeted to be concluded, but there will be by the chairman, there will be going on with the individual consultations on these topics. So, this will not really be delayed. The progress of the negotiations a lot, because they're also now agreed on the way forward, addressing the scope and option elements for the Treaty, so this process will go on in between the sessions. There are ways of providing input to this. There will be a draft that will send on circulation from the secretariat and then this draft, this draft will be negotiated at the second INC in Paris that starts in 22nd of November. 

Mithu: In Paris, I believe it was. In May, right, yeah OK. Jacob, thank you very much for coming in on this special episode of Tomra Talk Circular. I know we've talked about this, you'll be coming back and keeping us updated on what's going on in this process as we continue in the next meetings, the first one in Paris and then I think 3 you said after that, but I want to switch gears just for a second. We are coming to the end of what might be considered to be a very challenging year and on a personal note, I'd like to know what kind of message do you have to share as we start to look into 2023. 

Jacob: That's a big question, but coming from, you know, a big discussion in in Uruguay. What I've really seen needed there is you know we need collaboration. We need to embrace change for plastic pollution to end, we need a system change. We need to embrace that change and I also think we really need to make a balance between the focus on personal gains and the benefit of the greater good this will apply for the be important, I think for the Treaty negotiations that will be very exciting to follow in the next year and maybe it can also apply beyond there. 

Mithu: I like that, we need to find a balance between personal objectives and the greater good and I think we can not only say that when it comes to plastic pollution, but generally in the way society could and probably should develop. 

Thank you again, Jacob and we look forward to having you back in May next year. 

Jacob: Thank you Mithu, looking forward to that. 

If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a rating, subscribe, and turn on notifications. To comment on this episode, visit circular-economy.tomra.com/podcast.