Chair Remarks

Amalia Fitry Baruna (Head Chair)

Greetings delegate! The name is Amalia Fitry Baruna but people usually call me Amfiba or
Fiba in short. I am incredibly honored to serve as your head chair during GMMUN 1.0 2020 directing
the UNEP council with the topic of “Promoting Global Zero Plastic Policy''. This issue is really dear
and near to our surroundings and daily lives that creeps in as a silent tsunami not only for the
environment but for our society’s well beings as well. The enthusiasm in me is uncontrollable to meet
all of you to discuss this issue. I can't wait to hear your unconventional, mind-blowing, innovative
solutions to these issues drawing upon your own perspectives, experiences and research!
First to tell you about myself, I won't stop proudly introducing myself as a bioprocess
engineering student from Brawijaya University, Malang. Pursuing clean technology and waste
management systems for the environment is my passion in bioprocessing. As a senior student, I am
currently working on my thesis in the field of biomaterials usage for environmental purposes. I will
also attend The First International Conference of “Green” Polymer Materials 2020 this November to
present my research in water treatment with sustainable cellulose-based membrane preparation using
bio-based alternative green solvent. As nerdy as I am, I am also a whole geek obsessed over netflix
series, avatar the last airbender, game of thrones, and disney movies. Contrary with that, my favorite
hobbies are fitness & wellness, weightlifting and going to the gym.
Wish you all the luck in the world and hope you have the best time before, during, even after
the MUN conference, I cannot wait to meet all of you soon! If you have several questions regarding
the topics, feel free to hit me up at any time before the conference.
Dhifan Kemal Akbar (Co-Chair)
Greetings delegates! My name is Dhifan Kemal Akbar and I am currently in my second-year
majoring in mechanical engineering in Universitas Indonesia. I have gained acknowledgement both
internationally and nationally in regards to my passion towards the environment and thus I will be
serving as the co-chair of UNEP during GMMUN 1.0. I am looking forward to the conference as we
will be discussing one of the most important issues in the present era. As you know plastic is a material
designed to last forever – for products designed to last minutes. Hence the global community is facing
exponential growth of plastic wastes. As a good citizen we must become aware of this situation and
try our best to take some action. Remember, every little action counts even by joining this conference.
Who knows, maybe you may find ideas and can develop it into real action. Please do not hesitate to
get involved in the discussion and please display respect to the other delegates and the country that
you are representing. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us.
Introduction of Committee
Due to the intensification of urgent actions to solve human environment deterioration, the
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations manifested a resolution that
underlines the environment recognition as “key factor of security in economic and social
development” in 1968 under the UNGA recommendation.1 This initiated the Stockholm conference
16th of July 1972 as the pioneer catalyst of environmental conservation and international
environmental politics regulations. In 15th of December 1972, along with the adoption of GA
resolution 2997 (XXVII), the governing council of the United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP) was created with 58 member states.2
Today, UNEP serves as a specialized agency of leading authority that takes the roles of
advocate, promotor educator, platform, facilitator, and catalyst within the United Nations that ensures
secure practices and policies in environmental matters. The core missions that are carried by UNEP
are supporting leadership and partnership for the sake of environmental needs through motivating,
advising, and enabling member states and involved actors to enhance life quality while
accommodating future generation’s needs. Not only limited to that, UNEP also serves as the
coordinator between international, regional, even local parties to evaluate further environmental
impact of certain policy practices. UNEP organized its works in 6 strategic areas for a results-oriented
management based on scientific proofs, UNEP’s mandate, and global and/or regional priorities. Those
areas are climate change; post-conflict and disaster management; ecosystem management;
environmental governance; harmful substances; and resource efficiency/sustainable consumption and
production.3
The original main responsibilities are promoting international environmental cooperation,
serving as a platform for environmental policy guidance in the United Nations with the main focus of
various emerging environmental crises, monitoring the environmental policies implementation on
developing countries with its economic impact, and authorizing Environment Fund allocation as
UNEP’s main source of funding.4 UNEP’s mandates has been through numerous changes until the

1
United Nations. 1972. Report of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment
2
Ibid.
3
Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth. UNEP: United Nations of Environment Programme.
https://www.un.org/youthenvoy/2013/08/unep-united-nations-environment-programme/
4
United Nations Foundation. 2013. Working With The United Nations.
most recent update in 2002 because of the adoption of Nairobi Declaration (1997) that shifted UNEP’s
basis mandates to fixate on ensuring a modern and technology friendly approach in resolving
environmental issues. This highlights UNEP’s most recent mandates such as utilizing novel inventive
available scientific methods and documentation in analyzing global environmental trends; utilizing
early warning systems; facilitating the development of international environmental law and policy;
monitoring and fostering member state compliance with international environmental protocols along
with its norms; serves as the main bridge in United Nations management of environmental policy
implementation; the platform for discussions between scientific community and the specific UN
environmental policy; and providing UN bodies, governments and other institutions with guidance of
key policy of environmental matters.5

5
Ibid.
Introduction of the Topic
a. History of the Topic
Plastic is a painless solution to most of the everyday problems starting from cheap and efficient
food packaging, efficient item carriers, durable building materials, and many more. Plastic has made
lives so much easier, but at what cost?
The history of plastic began in 1933, where the first-ever Polyethylene plastic (the most
commonly used plastic to date) was created by accident at a chemical plant in Northwich, England.
At first, they mass produced it in small batches to assist in food packaging for the British military
during World War II. Then around 30 years later, a Swedish company engineered the plastic to
become a plastic bag. This quickly gained popularity in Europe and replaced the old method to carry
items such as a paper bag or plant-based bag materials. This became a global trend in 1979 and later
on the decade plastic has replaced most of the materials we use for packaging or bags. Further into
the years, people engineer plastic to be more durable, more lightweight, and many others. This process
of engineering undergoes through several additions of toxic chemicals into the structure of the plastic.
Those modifications had enlarged the range of uses a plastic can perform. From then on, the
production of plastic and its wastes has been exponential and has harmed our environment.6
Figure 1. Cumulative Plastic Waste Generation and Disposal7

6
Chalmin, P., 2019. The history of plastics: from the Capitol to the Tarpeian Rock, (Special Issue 19), pp.6-11.
7
Geyer, R., Jambeck, J. and Lavender, K., 2017. Production, Use, and Fate of All Plastics Ever Made. 3(7).
 Most studies concluded that plastic during its production, its waste management treatment,
and its disposal polluted the earth through ground, air, and water. During the plastic manufacturing
process, chemicals such as Carcinogenic, Neurotoxic, and Hormone disruptive chemicals find their
way to pollute the earth’s water, land, and air. Not only that, but together with some other common
compound in plastic such as Vinyl Chloride (PVC), Benzene (Polystyrene), and Formaldehyde
(Polycarbonate) they tend to last longer in the environment and are hard to degrade making them a
long source of toxicity to the surrounding environment. In addition to the manufacturing process of
plastic, industry releases a large number of hazardous gasses into the air such as Carbon Monoxide
and Hydrogen Cyanide that is affecting climate change.8
During plastic disposal, Chlorinated plastic can release harmful chemicals into the surrounding
soil, which can lead to pollution to the nearby water sources and the ecosystem. In addition, even
biodegradable plastic is harming the environment. During the process of breaking down the plastic,
methane (a very powerful greenhouse gas) is released into the air and significantly affects global
warming. Plastic that is disposed improperly is likely to end up in the ocean, some scientists believe
that bits of Polymer could hamper the growth of Plankton which can result in global warming.9
Gradually, the international community had realized the urgency of plastic and tried to counter
by influencing policies at every corner. It started with the rise of plastic, environmentalists and
scientists found the presence of microplastic in the ocean and warned of the potential of chemical
leaching from plastic into the ocean. The international community acted swiftly and in the same year
London Convention was made to counter global marine pollution and 15 countries ratified it.
Following the year, in the 80s and 90s, more concerns were brought up about the pollution. However,
plastic has not yet been the main conversation. That is until 2015, where ground breaking discoveries
were made about calculation on the rate of plastic flowing into the ocean.

The number assists people into understanding the big problem they are facing and thus the
international community pushes the agenda to discuss plastic waste. From then on, a deeper study

8
D., B., F., G., R., T. and M., B., 2009. Accumulation and Fragmentation of Plastic Debris in Global Environments,
364(1526), pp.1985-1998.
9
Proshad, R., Kormoker, T., Islam, M., Haque, M., Rahman, M. and Mithu, M., 2017. Toxic effects of plastic on
human health and environment: A consequence of health risk assessment in Bangladesh. International Journal of
Health, 6(1), p.1.
about plastic wastes had built momentum for alliances of policy makers, plastic industry, NGO, and
other foundations to formulate actions and solutions to the plastic waste crisis.10
b. Key Issues
Our current established global waste management system is still failing in filtering 80% of
plastic released into the ocean with 60% of it directly accessing the ocean from major countries in
Asia, such as Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand, and China.11 It departs from insufficient
funding and a net cost activity for most waste streams as the dominant origins of this issue.
Furthermore, these ‘origins’ became leading ‘factors’ that initiates the domino effect of other causes
such as substandard compilation of infrastructure, connected with a restricted solid waste management
system cost allocation as well as sharply incomparable quantities of materials with its economic value,
generates net deficit—a financing gap—across the plastic value chain.12
To develop association between private and public sectors in the plastic value chain, it is
mandatory to consider these four important areas to be covered. Those areas can also boost the
economic impacts. These areas are as follows13:

10
Jambeck, J., Geyer, R., Wilcox, C., Siegler, T., Perryman, M., Andrady, A., Narayan, R. and Law, K., 2015.
Plastic Waste Inputs from Land into The Ocean. Science 347, pp.768-771.
11
Ocean Conservancy. 2015. Stemming the Tide: Land-based Strategies for a Plastic-free Ocean. McKinsey Center
for business and Environment.
12
Ocean Conservancy and Trash Free Seas Alliance. 2017. The Next Wave: Investment Strategies for Plastic Free
Seas. McKinsey Center for business and Environment.
13
Ocean Conservancy and Trash Free Seas Alliance. 2019. Plastics Policy Playbook. McKinsey Center for business
and Environment.
 Figure 3. Net financing gap for plastic waste management14
1. Finance the collection
This area emphasizes on the funding provision measures to improve waste collection.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) has a massive opportunity to enhance collection funding
through packaging material fees implementation. Incentive and acceleration can also be the benefits
offered by an eco-modulated EPR fee to convert from non-recyclable materials into recyclable
materials. The chances potential EPR have is up to 75%—even more—to close the value chain
financing gap.
2. Reduce problematic single-use plastics
The measures aim is to reduce the supply of plastic and its quantity of waste by alternating
from its production and use of problematic single=use plastics (SUPs). For focused countries,
effectively prohibiting troublesome and unnecessary single-use plastics is one of the major
resolutions. The plastic supply reduction will mirror how far and effective specific solution
implementation is directly in the field while showing its long term progress in plastic per-capita
consumption.

14
See reference 13
 3. Circularity design
Plastic quality in the waste stream and reducing dependency on raw materials through eco-
design adoption principles is the main focus of this measure. The most substantial principles are
reusability, recyclability and the use of recycled content. Eco-design standards can be devoted to the
efforts of challenges around non-recyclable or difficult to recycle plastics. To improve the plastic
quality that enters the recycling stream and drive collection, it is necessary to combine protocols based
on national level policy and private sector commitments to standardize the waste management inputs.
Pre-existing and/or new policies can support private sector momentum in reintegrating design of
recycled content in plastic applications.
4. Develop recycling and treatment markets
These measures broaden demand for post-consumer plastics, such as recycling and developing
resolutions for non-recyclable and non-recoverable waste. To complement collection of post-
consumer recyclable plastic, recycling infrastructure incentives with the primary target on recycled
plastics is a necessary. In order to further increase collection of such plastics while preventing resource
loss, such incentives should be coupled with the development of flexible end-market solutions for
non-recyclable plastics.

Comprehensive framework is crucial across the overall plastic value chain. Extensive coverage
that combines all aspects in tackling down the issue (technology, measures, society awareness,
economic, enforcement, etc.) is what was expected. To develop a successful waste management
strategy, the main essential principles are as follows15 :
1. Combination of value chain evaluation system: Pervasive cooperation in bridging both
public and private sectors requires novel and inventive approaches. Bridging both public and
private sectors is the key to objectify visions in reducing borders between each perspective for
the real necessary value in the system.
2. Interconnection and establishments in the informal sector: The human rights and
livelihood assurance of those who directly face the endeavors should be the basis of the
measures. Efforts to collect quantity and quality are heavily influenced by proper workforces
that have better working environments. Increasing the inclusion of independent waste

15
Ibid.
 collectors will boost their expertise while improving the effectiveness and efficiency of made
efforts.
3. Society awareness and transition in consumerism: Crucial determinant in a successful
comprehensive plastic waste management framework is consumer demands as causal effects
that mirror weaknesses or necessary tweaks needed in improving the made efforts. Specific
campaigns in significant countries are essential to allocate its specific needs fulfillment to
stimulate plastic consumerism behavioral transition.
4. Motivate political will between stakeholders: Stakeholders hold secure power to motivate,
inspire, empower, and support all solutions in order to reduce plastic waste.
5. Upgrade environmental policy enforcement between member states: To be able to have
robust measures, enforcement capability is the determinant of the implementations. Mandatory
guidance should be provided in order for member states to comply in their visions of coherent,
strong, and objective national policy.

Industrial manufacturing processes are revolutionizing its mentality system from Cradle to
Grave (C2G) into Cradle to Cradle (C2C) for a cleaner production and more sustainable waste
management system. The core reason why C2G is not sustainable is because it is a linear system
concept where raw materials are processed in the industry into products yet the waste of its processes
just ends up in the waste disposals along with the used products from consumers. Hence, a cyclical
system is urgently needed–a turning point of how the C2C concept was invented.
Cradle to Cradle (C2C) coined by green designers–environmentally conscious scientists,
engineers, and architects–as a development of eco-effectiveness strategies to traditional eco-efficiency
approaches for the development of the overall product value chain.16 In simple terms, the C2C concept
can be explained as seeing other garbage as a continual resource in a cyclical way. In example, one’s
industrial waste can be seen as other industrial raw materials in their manufacturing processes.

16
McDonough, W. and Braungart, M. 2007. Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. North Point
Press
 Figure 3. Intelligent materials pooling for industrial material flows17
Intelligent materials pooling (IMP) is one of many types of eco-effective management
structure under the C2C concept. It is a framework that integrates economic actors within the industrial
technical metabolism that categorizes industries with the common ground materials–pool material
resources. The gateway for the intelligent materials pooling community is a materials bank, it “rents
out” chemicals and materials made in the plastic industry to contributing companies, who
consecutively turn them into products and allow consumers participation in the service scheme. After
that, the materials recovered and returned to the materials bank.18
The project initiated in 2002 by the voluntary association or organizations revolving in
concerns around sustainability called Sustainability consortium joined by 50 top global companies
like Nike, Ford, British Petroleum, United Technologies Corporation (Otis elevator, Sikorsky
helicopter, and Pratt & Whitney), Estee Lauder, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) Plug Power even
large firms like Visteon (Ford and Harley Davidson division).
One of the advantages offered by the C2C concept with IMP management system is connecting
similar partnerships and even competitors in the same issues regarding developing ‘green solution’
that is way too expensive or takes way more time if it is done individually with only temporary
ownership of their materials. Companies also inspired industrial policy enforcements due to C2C

17
McDonough, W., Bollinger, A. and Braungart, M. 2007. Cradle-to-cradle Design: Creating Healthy Emissions–A
Strategy for Eco-Effective Product and System Design. Journal of Cleaner Production 15 (2007) 1337-1348.
18
See reference 9
responsibilities that have started to become an huge investment not only an expense because it gives
them incentives for using the most lower cost materials possible to achieve functional requirements
in their products, products constituent materials, and processes. The biggest benefit for companies is
the high opportunities existed when they called themselves as “material banks”–continual use and
reuse assets owner–creating better products using higher quality materials that fulfill consumer needs
while accommodating disposal obligations.19
More and more countries are shifting to this concept since green designers and companies
predicted it to be more efficient, profitable and beneficial. European Union already transitioned to this
concept as a solution to overcome critical raw material shortage and cut dependency from countries
such as Chile, Turkey, China, and South Africa due to the European Commission realization that
broader EU has been heavily dependent on unsustainable raw materials from countries with much
lower environmental, social standards, less freedom, and lower, unsustainable economies.20
As this concept can be adapted to the application of better industrial policies, plastic waste
management system, plastic manufacturing production, and more however, it requires time for
countries to shift from conventional and harmful methods. However, some countries had succeeded
and had proven this concept worth the effort.

Status Quo
Plastic has made our life easier and also plays a massive role in our economy. This is because
plastic is highly flexible, durable, and cheap thus making it a reliable material for most everyday needs
such as packaging, toys, smartphones, building material, and many more. Plastic has become an
indispensable material within the global economy; 332 million tonnes of plastic were produced in
2015 alone.21 This number continues to grow over the years and as the global community lacks a
proper management guideline for plastic this creates a massive problem with global consequences.
However, as the year goes by, the international community and many people across the world have
become more aware of the negative effects of plastic and the lack of plastic management system.

19
MIT Sloan Management. 2008. Materials Pooling (A): Opportunity and Potential of the Sustainability
Consortium. MIT
20
European Commission. 2020. Critical Raw Materials Resilience: Charting a Path Towards Greater Security and
Sustainability. EU Publication
21
Commission, E., 2019. European Strategy on Plastic Waste in the Environment. 2019(123).
 An increasing number of studies reveal that the detrimental effects of plastic are on our
economies, on human health, on wildlife, and most crucially on our environment. Plastic used in our
everyday life such as packaging or shopping bags are not properly produced or managed and often
disposed improperly polluting our environment creating major issues. The images below show the
horrifying state of our planet.22

Figure 4. Overwhelmed Landfill in USA, taken from Figure 5. Floating Plastic in Nigeria, taken from
NatGeo ourworldindata

Rivers, beaches, ocean, and land filled with scattered plastic. Some plastic is even found in
remote areas including the Arctic Ice and Pristine Mountain Lakes. Plastic can photodegrade into
smaller pieces (microplastic) and can be found on every inch of our ocean. Knowing how bad the
conditions are, in 2016, UNEP has published several reports on the impact of plastic on the
environment to further assess the source and core problem.23 These findings further pushed the
growing concern from the global community and resulted in many global responses.
The UNEP had tried to suggest policy makers to enhance policy in the scope of manufacturing
plastic, waste management, and mitigation systems. Realizing the fact that only 9% of all plastic waste
ever produced has been recycled, 12% has been incinerated, and the rest has accumulated in landfills,
dumbs or natural environments.24

22
Europe, P., 2016. Plastic In Landfill. [image].
23
Environment, U., 2020. Our Planet is Drowning in Plastic Pollution.
24
Jembeck, R., R, J. and K, L., 2020. Production, Use, and Fate of All Plastics Ever Made, 3(7).
 Figure 6. Global Map of Plastic Mismanagement25
In addition, researchers studied and collected data in regards to mismanaged plastic waste in
many countries. As shown in the figure above (data from 2015), most of the mismanagement of plastic
waste is concentrated mostly in Asia. This is because the governments are facing a dilemma between
economy or environment thus forcing leaders to ignore many key components to plastic management.
In addition to that, many developing countries in Asia receive an overwhelming number of illegal
plastic waste from developed nations.
Due to the lack of regulation this makes most developing countries in Asia become the centre
of illegal dumping. The number of mismanaged plastic waste averages to 400,000ty-1 resulting in
millions of plastic carried out to open nature, most of which are floating in our ocean as you read this
study guide. This condition is similar to Africa. On the contrary, America and Europe have slightly
better management systems than Asia, however even averages of 100,000ty-1 will result in thousands-
millions of plastics getting mismanaged. Hence, there rises urgency from the global community to
make standardization.
One of the most important things to address is the standardization in policy making. The
international community realized 5 principles that can ensure success to promote global zero plastic
policy or at least manage and reduce the current volume of the problem.26

25
Lebreton, L. and Andrady, A., 2019. Future scenarios of global plastic waste generation and disposal. Palgrave
Communications, 5(1).
26
Conservancy, O. and Alliance, T., 2020. Plastics Policy Playbook. pp.18-19.
 The first principle is that the policy should combine measures across the value chain by both
the public and private sectors, in new and innovative ways. Second, is that policy should push the
government and people to engage and invest in the informal sector. Measures must support the human
rights and livelihoods of those on the front line of collection efforts. Dignified employment with
improved working conditions and leveraging the expertise of independent waste collectors can drive
improvements in collection quantity and efficiency.
The third is that the policy should drive consumer behavior and steer the awareness in the right
way possible. The fourth should consist of policy to hold discussion in regards to monitoring to keep
track of progress of different levels of region. The last is that there should be policy to support
mechanisms or the implementation of good activities to ensure their capacity at international or even
national level.

Study Case

a. India: Inclusive circular economy approach to recover plastic waste

In Pune, India, a solid waste management model was implemented by actively and directly
involving waste workers to recover and commercialize resources. The effective immediate impact
shows in distinct aspects such as economy, environmental and social all at once. Lower cost is one of
the major predominant results due to the model basis in workforce and engagement in recycling
activities compared to the conventional centralized and mechanized waste management approaches.
Considerable achievements can be seen in plastic waste separation and high recycling levels.
Circular urban waste management model influenced partnerships across sectors between local and
global recycling industries as well as small frontline people involved. The city government recognition
and support massively affected the Pune waste management model. However, the model viability still
has several loopholes from external factors such as new and innovative technological alternatives,
other novel on par models (waste incineration, innovative industrialized and centered waste
management alternatives) and the global waste economy profitability can be the major determinant
as well.27

Figure 7. Municipal solid waste management in Pune City28

27
United Nations ESCAP. 2018. Closing the Loop: Innovative Partnerships with Informal Workers to Recover
Plastic waste, in an Inclusive Circular Economy Approach –Pune, India Case Study. UN ESCAP
28
See reference 23
 Figure 8. Plastic waste recycling value chain in Pune29
Stakeholders are apprehensive of the capacity knock-on effects of interference made at any
time and position in the value chain and be intensely cautious not to disturb the actors and mechanisms
that are working effectively, in example by introducing inappropriate technologies or misguided
policies (different regulations, such as the buy-back of high-value recyclable materials). This is a
result that should be observed due to the complex and interconnected actors that are included. Even
though the plastic that is recycled in Pune is exceeding 50%, there are still high opportunities to
optimize the plastic value chain recovery up to 80% from the partly recyclable plastic waste.30

b. Nigeria: Challenges to face

Akure is located in the South Western region of Nigeria and serves as the trading centre for
farm produce. People in Akure still use conventional plastic for food packaging, shopping bags, and
many other things. To counter this issue, the government had tried to take strict measures including

29
See reference 23
30
Ibid.
the establishment of a Plastic Waste Management Authority that implements municipal solid waste
mechanism and a Recycling Centre for the town. The expected results of those establishments are to
mitigate soil, water, and air pollution as well as handling improper plastic waste disposal. However,
its establishment and municipal solid waste poses serious challenges to the environment.31
With a total amount of 0.82 Kg/capita/day plastic waste generated in Akure. 58% of that are
recyclable, however, most of these plastic did not end up in the recycling centre. Instead, it ends up in
their unlicensed incinerator and causes major air pollution. It is calculated, that disposing plastic waste
through incinerators is cheaper than recycling it.32

Past International Action

Though the international community had formulated a lot of convention, framework, and
guideline - whether it is in a form of agreement or advice for policy maker, water or land-based policy
– had not been able to effectively tackle the problem of plastic waste. This is due to several
shortcomings as listed below.
1. Lacks of Proper Foundation and Surveillance Mechanism
First, studies showed that the majority of plastic debris in our ocean is generated from land,
however, this understanding of the problem is hardly covered by the Marine-Based Treaties.33 Instead
where it is covered in international instruments, the discussion and action remain a voluntary part of
conventions.34 For example, the United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),
although it includes discussion on ocean plastic debris generated from land, it addresses these
problems to domestic regulation instead. This links to another setback which is that not all states have
ratified UNCLOS, the most well-known example being the USA. As for international instruments that
indeed cover this problem, none of them are setting universal standardization when it comes to

31
Adewumi, J. R., Ajibade, F. O., Lasisi, K. H. and Oguntuase, A. M. (2017). “Characterization of Municipal Solid
Waste Generated in Akure Metropolis”. Conference Proceedings of the School of Engineering & Engineering
Technology (SEET).
32
Bassey, J., Odesola, I. and Osunsade, A., 2020. Challenges and Opportunities of Plastic Waste: A Case Study of
Akure Metropolis. International Journal of Scientific and Engineering Research, 11(5).
33
2016. Marine Plastic Debris and Microplastics - Global Lessons and Research to Inspire Action and Guide Policy
Change. 2016(a).
34
Derraik, J., 2002. The pollution of the marine environment by plastic debris: a review. Marine Pollution Bulletin,
44(9), pp.842-852.
regulating plastics. Even the famous Basel Convention covers this issue in its technical guidelines,
however its application is not even tracked by UNEP or any international instruments.
2. Weak Enforcement on Technicalities
Second, most of the international conventions, guidelines, instruments, or treaties consist of
substantial technicalities, however it lacks technical enforcement. For example, the International
Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) was adopted to prevent the illegal
plastic waste or waste in general from cruising ships on the open ocean.35 However, amidst the
exceptional technical guideline, many countries have limited technical support or assistance which
then fails to implement the guideline properly. This guideline also fails to measure important
parameters for certain actions which made many countries take action differently based on their
understanding and their own parameter. This situation complicates things as different regions have
their own parameters and standardization towards this problem.
3. Standardization Gap between Regions
Third, some actions such as the clean seas campaign on a regional scale face legislative gaps owing
to its regional character.36 Even though it is extremely helpful to have programmes that fit the needs
and capabilities of a certain region, it also implies that some regions lag behind others in their
milestone to reach strict requirements for solving the plastic crisis. Due to different standardization
and thus programmes would implement different actions between regions or places, this may
eventually lead to concentrations of plastic waste or plastic crisis in regions that require less strict
regulations. In addition to that, the region may not have the capacity to handle such concentration of
plastics and may use uncertified or unlicensed methods in plastic management.

35
E., P., 1990. The International Community Confronts Plastics Pollution from Ships, Law Review 5(2), pp.425-
496.
36
2016. Oceans Governance and International Law of the Sea: Closing the Gaps.
 Figure 2 Timeline of Global Plastic Waste Action37

Bloc Position
Countries in Favor for Universal Standardization in Plastic Policy
Consist of economically prosperous, technology advanced, and politically stable countries.
Environmental protection is one of their top priorities as a country and has shown multiple efforts in
movement to combat the plastic crisis. Their agenda is to push the council with ideas that consist of
the five guiding principles to a success shift from plastic or at least plastic management systems. Strict
regulation, value chain system, evaluation of the plastic industry, plastic waste management,
parameters, technology certification, universal procedure, and reports will be among the things they
hope to standardize across plastic management aspects. These countries welcome wider involvement

37
Clare Auld Brokish, 2020. Timeline Of Global Waste Action. [image].
of NGOs and other international communities. They also believe that public pressure will eventually
influence other political leaders to prioritize this matter.

Countries Opposing for Universal Standardization in Plastic Policy

Consists of relatively low economic and technologically capacity, and less politically stable countries.
Those characteristics resulted in their inability to conduct or even implement strict regulation or proper
plastic management system. Not limited to that, due to their underdeveloped legal system and
enforcement, these countries are vulnerable to illegal dumping from other countries. In the matter of
standardization, these countries would likely take a stand against reports, and international community
involvement in their domestic matter. They may be in favor of recommendation but strongly oppose
measured process especially policy that they have to achieve into certain standards. Their main agenda
would consist of knowledge and technological transfer.

QARMAS
1. Is universal standardization to combat the plastic crisis necessary for member states? If so, in
what aspects and to which degree does member states should implement? If not, then what is
lacking in the current status quo to implement universal standardization?
2. Is our current solid waste management system sufficient? If not, in what aspect should it be
improved that still maintains the five guiding principles of waste management strategy?
3. In which direction should the plastic manufacturing industry as well as its consumers' behavior
transition into? What necessary actions should be implemented for a holistic approach to
motivate stakeholders and influence policy enforcements?
4. In what specific way that UNEP can accommodate the complex plastic value chain
improvements along with the C2C system that is universal for member state’s needs?
5. The majority of third party’s involvement is indirect to the current plastic management system
such as campaigning, collecting discarded plastics, and etc. However as the management of
plastic life is becoming more and more essential, should third parties such as NGO, IGO, Non-
state Actors be directly involved in the plastic management system? If so, what aspects and to
what extent should they be directly involved?
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