Plastic’s Turning Point: How INC-5 Could Transform Our Planet

GRID-Arendal has contributed to this process from the start in multiple ways with our expertise, from being supporting delegates that journey to the different meetings, to experts on waste and marine litter, to science experts and supporting nations going to the meetings. 

‘With regards to the INC, we have supported negotiators from Cabo Verde, Guinea Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, and Sierra Leone in West Africa with knowledge products on the meaning of the draft text of the treaty; we have provided in-person support to the negotiators during INC sessions; and have unpacked post INC outcomes through knowledge products, as well as virtual and in-person workshops’, says Clever Mafuta, Head of Waste and Marine Litter Programme at GRID-Arendal. 

‘The role of GRID is to add knowledge and guidance on the process that countries need to establish an action plan, managing stakeholders, civil society, universities, and connecting the different stakeholders. I work on developing the strategies on the different actions that needs to be taken. This project runs parallel with the INC process. It’s interesting because the countries are taking these steps anyway, it is early preparedness’, states Lars Stordal, Global Plastics Treaty Lead – Principal expert waste and marine litter at GRID-Arendal.  

GRID-Arendal also sheds a light on the link between climate change and plastic pollution. ‘This year, our team raised awareness about the climate impacts of plastics during the United Nations Environment Assembly, and we provided valuable insights for the ongoing plastics negotiations. We are planning to raise awareness about these topics during the upcoming climate COP in Baku. I would say the Plastic agreement is equal to the Paris agreement; it counters A-Z on plastic. It is not only a material, but it is everywhere. We are working our best to make a strong framework agreement,” says Ieva Rucevska, Principal expert at the Waste and Marine Litter team, on waste management at GRID-Arendal. 

There are many approaches to why we care about plastic. ‘I got to do field work on Svalbard, measuring toxic levels in the blood of sea birds. I found so much plastic in the stomach of northern fulmar. It was very special to be there, because of its fragility and because of the ecosystem’, explains Eirin Husabø, Marine biologist and ecotoxicologist, at GRID-Arendal on how she first became interested in the topic. 

‘I obtained my Master at the University of Cape Town and while I lived there, I started surfing and freediving and became more aware of the issue of marine litter. I then got involved with some organisations organising beach clean ups and educating youth on this topic. Working in the treaty-sphere now feels very full circle. I can’t wait for the treaty to be adopted and start working on implementation, says Elena van Doorn, Project Communications Officer at GRID-Arendal on her original motivation for working with plastic.

‘My work at GRID-Arendal centres around communicating science and solutions related to plastic and marine pollution. A key part of this is developing communication products including reports, briefs, infographics and story maps. I’ve always loved spending time in nature and have dreamed of a career where I can contribute to making the world a better place. Working with environmental issues is therefore very meaningful to me’, reflects Elisabeth Berglihn, SOS-ZEROPOL2030 Lead at GRID-Arendal. 

‘My concern around plastic pollution started when I was working in Indonesia and could see high levels of plastic pollution, particularly in the marine environment where I spent most of my time’, explains Stephanie Lavelle, expert on the Waste and Marine Litter team at GRID-Arendal. 

GRID-Arendal also works on communicating the importance of this meeting. ‘I really like GRIDs motto “Environmental knowledge for change” and I do believe this is what can make a difference, sharing the knowledge in formats that are understandable and can make politicians act on it. GRID-Arendal works all over the world, and that is what sometimes makes it hard, because we want to connect and get journalists involved, but that means the whole world is our target audience. It’s so important that we get journalists to see that there are things we can do. Getting this global treaty could really make a difference. I have been surprised by how plastic affects the Trippel planetary crisis – burning of plastic, plastic in our oceans damaging biodiversity, and polluting. I really look forward to the last INC meeting in South Korea in the end of November. I hope this is going to be a historical moment, we need this to be a strong agreement. The world must take a stand, and we need a treaty that can make a real difference, that is what I am really looking forward to, states Maria Dalby, Head of Media Relations at GRID-Arendal 

There is strong hope for the upcoming meeting in Busan. ‘I am really excited for the INC5 in Busan. I am hoping it will be a legally ground and effective agreement. I am also excited for the follow-up after the agreement. It will be groundbreaking for the following decade, as it will lead to more coherent work on plastic. I am very enthusiastic about the project on ‘Plastics and Biodiversity’ in Sri Lanka, we recently finished a very successful field mission to the country and there have been so many learnings and so much need to do some concrete groundwork in the country on this area’, says Swati Singh Sambyal, Waste Plastics/Circular Economy Expert at GRID-Arendal. 

Waste can also be a resource if utilised correctly. ‘My passion and number one priority are the one-of-a-kind, geographically tailored capacity-building Toolkit on “Awareness and Capacity Building for Women of the Informal Recycling Sector”. The toolkit, which is developed in collaboration with strategic partners, includes unique features and materials designed to provide unparalleled opportunities for awareness, empowerment, and capacity enhancement of women of the Informal Recycling Sector- IRS. The toolkit has already been tested in Nepal under the RiPl project led by GRID-Arendal and has provided valuable insights, which have been incorporated into the revised version of the toolkit. As has been the outcome of recent panel discussions, capacity building of the IRS workers plays a vital role in accelerating their Just Transition and needs to be high on the agenda of any country with a substantial presence of the IRS, explains Maria Tsakona, Senior Waste & Resource Management Expert at GRID-Arendal. 

‘The issue with plastic is that we haven’t managed it effectively, like how Prometheus introduced fire to humanity. The first polymer was created to lessen our reliance on natural resources, and while plastic has provided many advantages, it must be used responsibly and thoughtfully. We need to minimize usage whenever possible and handle our waste more sustainably. The challenge extends beyond just plastic pollution; it also involves consumerism and lifestyle choices, as industries produce what we demand. Today, we live in a convenience-driven society, and moving forward, we must rethink our plastic habits to make managing the subsequent pollution easier. This could involve reducing unnecessary plastic use and redesigning products to limit the number of components, colours, and additives, facilitating better waste management when these items are ultimately discarded’, explained Thomas Maes, Senior Scientist at GRID-Arendal. 

It is a time of change in the world right now, as more and more countries and communities have realised that we cannot go on with business as usual. ‘We are in changing seasons in the autumn right now. Every year I look forward to the change of seasons, depending on where you are in the world. That renewal is relevant in the INC5 process’, shares Fiona Preston-Whyte, Senior expert at GRID-Arendal.