Interesting food for thought - which should we prioritise, cuts in plastics production or recycling and better waste disposal?

This article reports on the differing country stances on plastics, ahead of second session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution.

While the EU and African countries call for legally binding cuts in plastics production, US, China, and Saudi Arabia placed emphasis on recycling with country-specific flexibility and discretion vouched for.

The article quotes AOSIS (Alliance of Small Island States) statement on their priority on reducing the amount of plastics ending up in the sea, as the reduction of plastics production could increase the price of plastics which SIDS communities utilise.

Interesting considerations concocted into this debate - the pollution and emissions throughout the entire life-cycle of plastics (triggering stronger calls for limiting plastics production), its ties with the fossil fuels sector (since plastics are made from oil and gas), and dependency on plastics in our everyday lives.