The Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) don waka yan say make leaders run enter plastic wahala for ground, and other wahala wey go fit carry body of individual and community.
Dem yan this one inside press statement wey dem release on Wednesday before the third session of Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on top plastic palava wey go start this week for the discussion of global plastic agreement.
For inside this committee, people wey come from different civil society wey dey come together form coalition (CSOs), yan say make leaders yan to dem now now to solve the plastic problem.
GAIA talk say the matter don waka heavy like that and the committee go be the turning point for the battle against plastic wahala.
Dem say na opportunity dis negotiation be to solve environmental mata and wahala wey fit carry wahala to individual and community health and rights. One of dis wahala na waste colonialism, wey mean say dem dey carry waste wey no pure from rich country (Global North) go poor country (Global South), wey no get power to fit waka handle am.
GAIA Latin America & the Caribbean’s Zero Waste and Plastics Adviser, Alejandra Parra yan say, “To stop waste colonialism, we need to reduce plastics production. To make recycling useful, we need to reduce plastic production. To manage waste in an environmentally healthy manner, we need to reduce plastic production. To achieve the climate goals, we need to reduce plastic production.
“To respect human rights and planetary boundaries, we need to reduce plastics production. And that is what we must achieve with this plastics treaty that is currently being negotiated. But some countries don’t want this and are acting so this process fails. That is why we need to unite our voices because we are the ones suffering the worst consequences of plastic pollution and we need to be heard.”
GAIA yan say the plastic palava no start for Global South, e start for Global North, and dem need to yan true true for this matter wey dey say na Global South sabi spoil plastic.
The people wey talk for GAIA/ BFFP Africa plastics campaign yan say e dey happen for Africa and na wah for Europe. For every day, e be like say Europe dey bring yeye plastic for Africa, especially cloth wey people dey use hand do from plastic. Dis wahala dey make wahala for Africa and no follow the law wey dem talk make dem make to protect dem people.
The global plastic treaty go make dem put eye for all di yeye mata wey dey happen for trade for plastic, and if e consign plastic dem need trade ban wey go affect plastic and di chemical wey follow am.
Global South people say dem need measures to solve the plastic problem
Dem say for Global South, dem wan make agreement wey go cover for:
- Reducing plastic production
- Stopping wahala technology like incineration
- Imposing strict limit on top toxic chemical wey dem dey put for plastic
- Dem need to make chemical use open so dem go know everything wey dem dey use am for
Dem say, make everybody gree do better for traditional knowledge for Global South, wey go help dem for all di wahala wey dem dey talk. GAIA Asia Pacific’s Plastic Policy Officer, Arpita Bhagat yan say, “Before the industry introduced toxic plastics into our local systems, causing harm to our land and sea; cultures in the Asia and Pacific region prioritized co-existing with nature. This cultural value has also positioned us at the forefront of adopting Zero Waste solutions.
“The most significant opportunity for addressing global plastics pollution lies in an international agreement. This agreement should advocate for a policy mechanism mandating the transition away from plastics. We need a treaty grounded in human rights and justice, recognising the role of petrochemicals in plastics by mandating a reduction in production, banning harmful chemicals and polymers, and discontinuing polluting technologies like incineration, plastics-to-fuel, and chemical recycling.
“Moreover, it should underscore scaling up reuse, safeguarding indigenous peoples’ rights, and facilitating a just transition for informal workers and waste pickers away from plastics and into Zero Waste systems. To ensure the effectiveness of this instrument, a conflict of interest policy is essential to prevent the industry’s disproportionate influence on negotiations and avoid maintaining the status quo.”