The first U.N. Ocean Conference in five years ended recently in Lisbon, Portugal, with Secretary-General António Guterres calling for a global commitment by businesses, governments and individuals to do more to preserve and protect the planet’s seas. But why aren’t governments meeting to discuss the agricultural plastic emergency?
According to a U.N. Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) report on plastics in agriculture, the world’s soil is likely more filled with plastic pollution than the oceans are. Related: U.N. will push ahead with first ever legally-binding treaty to cut plastic waste The report says that “commonly used agricultural products, such as non-biodegradable plastic mulching films, greenhouse films and polymer-coated slow-release fertilizers, have a tendency to break down in the soil, leaving behind pieces of plastic ranging in size from large to microscopic. These pieces have unknown, yet potentially detrimental, implications for ecosystems and human health.” Read: Plastic was found in human blood for the first time. Is this a public health risk? One of the major milestones is the U.N. Plastic Treaty Roadmap drafted earlier this year. The effort, a first of its kind and titled “End plastic pollution: Towards an internationally legally binding instrument” is expected to be made final by 2024. It focuses on the full lifecycle of plastic, including production, design and waste. The agreement, if enforced two years from now as legally binding, is expected to be a major blow to oil
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and chemicals
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companies that make plastic and prefer to steer the plastic conversation centered on waste instead of the original packaging contents.
“Commonly used agricultural products, such as non-biodegradable plastic mulching films, greenhouse films and polymer-coated slow-release fertilizers, have a tendency to break down in the soil, leaving behind pieces of plastic ranging in size from large to microscopic. ”
— U.N. Food & Agriculture Organization
Plastic is essential to farmers, foresters and fishers from mulching and irrigation to fishing gear and greenhouse films. Polymers of various types can help farmers, foresters and fishers maintain livelihoods, enhance production, reduce crop loss and conserve water, which can all aid in food security. However, in today’s conventional farming practices, it is common to use non-recyclable LDPE plastics (low-density polyethylene or plastic number 4) in orchards and vineyards. It is also well known that LDPE can degrade and leach when left in the sunlight for an extended period of time. Read: Recycling is confusing — …