Global survey sees ‘nearly nine in 10 people supporting a UN plastic pollution treaty but will governments follow?’

As we covered recently, the Fifth Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly takes place online and in Nairobi at the end of February 2022. A key element of the summit will be the potential for a global treaty on plastic pollution. From February 28^th to March 2^nd, the UN Environment Assembly will meet to create a treaty framework, hammering out what will and won’t be included. It has been reported that the Assembly will primarily focus on two drafts: one that includes a more comprehensive approach for plastics, from production to waste management, and one that focuses on ocean pollution and plastic disposal.

Now,  according to a poll released on 22^nd February, three in four people worldwide want single-use plastics to be banned as soon as possible, as United Nations members prepare to begin talks on a global treaty to rein in soaring plastic pollution.

The percentage of people calling for bans is up from 71% since 2019, while those who said they favoured products with less plastic packaging rose to 82% from 75%, according to the IPSOS poll of more than 20,000 people across 28 countries.

An average of nearly nine in 10 people surveyed across 28 countries think it is important to have a global treaty to combat plastic pollution but whether this overwhelming global public support will result in the adoption of an ambitious, legally binding global treaty remains uncertain.

Ipsos polled over 20,000 adults in late 2021 for the Plastic Free Foundation, with WWF partnering to release the results, and this is the first comprehensive global polling on the need for a plastic pollution treaty, which should further strengthen the case for a treaty that sets high global standards for addressing all stages of plastic’s lifecycle and a pathway to ending plastic pollution by 2030.

The survey also found that 85% of respondents want manufacturers and retailers to be held responsible for reducing, reusing and recycling plastic packaging. These demands are in line with a full lifecycle approach to the management of plastic pollution, which Peru and Rwanda have proposed to UN member states to consider ahead of a two week-long negotiation starting 21 February with a decision to be made 1-2 March at the conclusion of the high level segment of the UN Environment Assembly.

The full results of the survey “Attitudes towards single use plastics” are available here. A key element of the survey looked at global opinions on actions to stop plastic pollution in 28 countries, which can be found here.