UN takes 'historic' step toward global treaty on plastic trash

By some estimates, a garbage truck's worth of plastic is dumped into the sea every minute

The United Nations on Wednesday agreed to start negotiating a world-first global treaty on plastic pollution in what has been hailed as a watershed moment for the planet.

Nearly 200 nations at the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi unanimously agreed to create an intergovernmental committee to negotiate and finalise a legally binding plastics treaty by 2024.

"We are making history today. You should all be proud," said Eide, who is Norway's climate and environment minister. 

It addresses not just the bottles, straws and shopping bags floating in rivers and oceans, but invisible microplastics found in the deepest oceans and highest mountains, and within the air, soil and food chain.

Supporters described the commitment as the most important environmental decision taken by the UN in years.

The broad treaty framework approved by 193 UN nations -- among them major plastic producers like the United States and China -- does not spell out specific measures but leaves particulars to negotiations.

Other regulations could require that industry redesign products to make recycling easier and stem the torrent of trash created by single-use items.

"This is a clear acknowledgement that the entire life cycle of plastic, from fossil fuel extraction to disposal, creates pollution that is harmful to people and the planet," said Graham Forbes from Greenpeace.

The amount of plastic entering the oceans is forecast to triple by 2040, and governments have been under pressure to unite against the trash "epidemic".

By some estimates, a garbage truck's worth of plastic is dumped into the sea every minute.

To address the urgency, talks toward concluding the treaty are being fast-tracked and the first round is slated for later this year.

Setting targets, ensuring accountability, and monitoring success or otherwise could prove sticking points, said UN environment chief Inger Andersen.

"There will be a number of thorny issues as there always is when we start a negotiation," said Andersen, head of the UN Environment Programme.

Dozens of major businesses had called for a common set of rules around plastic to create a level playing field for competition.

Trade group Plastics Europe said its products played a vital role in society and industry was doing its part to bolster recycling and invest in solutions.

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