ASEZ Zero Plastic 2040 Campaign

The international community agreed at the 5th UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) in March 2022 to adopt an Global Plastics Treaty.

This treaty aims to regulate and mandate measures across the entire lifecycle of plastics, which severely impacts environmental pollution, climate change, ecosystem destruction, and public health. It also lays the foundation for holding nations, corporations, and societies accountable for plastics.

According to United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)’s “Turning off the Tap Report (2023),” the next 3 to 5 years are critical for implementing actions to achieve systemic change by 2040.

Any delays could result in an additional 80 million tons of plastic pollution entering the environment, jeopardizing the international community’s goal of reducing plastic pollution by 50% by 2040.

In response, ASEZ, the Church of God University Student Volunteer Group, urges the UN and the international community to establish the following specific and effective goals and plans for the drafting and implementation of the International Plastics Treaty.

1. 1
   Development of Binding Global Standards and Oversight Bodies for EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) Develop global standard guidelines for design and packaging that reflect the realities of local waste management infrastructure for handling plastic products and packaging. Strengthen the legal enforceability of these guidelines and establish an organization to manage and oversee these efforts, ensuring consistent implementation of plastic management policies across countries.
2. 2
   Development of Definitions and Standards for Monitoring Systems Across the Plastic Lifecycle, and Establishment of a Reporting System For the effective and safe management of plastics throughout their life cycle, develop consistent definitions and standards at the international level and have a report system so that information on the types of plastics used, the demand for plastics and the factors that drive them, the trade flows, the production, consumption, and post-use patterns of plastics, and the effects of plastic pollution on human rights and marine ecosystem as well as the global market can be transparently disclosed.
3. 3
   Establish specific numerical goals and reduction plans for the radical reduction of the production, consumption, and use of single-use plastics, which have long environmental impacts despite their short usage time. Provide appropriate incentives to businesses and individuals to encourage these reductions. Establish specific numerical goals and reduction plans for the radical reduction of the production, consumption, and use of single-use plastics, which have long environmental impacts despite their short usage time. Provide appropriate incentives to businesses and individuals to encourage these reductions.
4. 4
   Public Education and Campaign by Region for Citizens’ Eco-friendly Consumption and Policy Making Expand region-specific public education and campaigns to empower citizens to participate in eco-friendly consumption and policy advocacy. These initiatives should emphasize the importance of “reusing, recycling, repurposing, and diversifying” plastics and encourage governments and businesses to legislate or offer plastic-free alternatives.

I agree for the drafting, adoption, and implementation of the Global Plastics Treaty proposed by ASEZ, the University Student Volunteer Group of the World Mission Society Church of God, and support ASEZ’s activities.