Scientists' Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty

🔎 12.7 million metric tons of #microplastics are estimated to be released into the #environment each year. 🏔️ Microplastics are being found everywhere from the deepest oceans to the highest mountains, including inside our own bodies. 🐟 Once in the environment, microplastics are persistent, cannot be effectively removed, and harm wildlife. 🎯 To effectively address microplastic pollution throughout the #plastics life cycle, interventions will need to focus upstream on reducing their emissions on a global scale. 📄 Download our new policy brief or read it below ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dCQx8MxU 📚 Explore our other policy briefs and resources ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eMvvq7iA

♻️⚠️ Recycling cannot solve the plastic pollution crisis. 📉 While mechanical recycling can help increase the circularity of plastics, advanced and chemical recycling technologies are not proven to be scalable. Priority should be placed instead on reducing the production and consumption of plastics following the waste hierarchy. ☝️ Any recycling processes used need to address their wide range of potential impacts including chemicals of concern, the generation of micro- and nanoplastics, energy consumption, and social impacts. Recycled materials and products should be assessed according to globally harmonized safety and sustainability criteria. Scroll through six relevant facts in the graphics below ⬇️ 🙋♀️ Want to learn more? Take a look at these helpful resources: 📄 Primary Plastic Polymers: Urgently needed upstream reduction ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eH_2ZGEs 📄 Waste management policy brief ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dRmQRnfE 📄 Transitioning to a safe and sustainable circular economy for plastics ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eVyTc3Ww 📄Science-based recommendations for plastic chemicals to inform an effective global plastic treaty ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dAU_z7xe 📚 Explore all of our resources or ask us a question ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eMvvq7iA

💡 Our expert, independent scientists would like to share four important facts relevant to developing criteria and non-criteria-based approaches for chemicals of concern in plastic products. Scroll through them in the graphics below ⬇️ 🙋♀️ Want to learn more? Take a look at these helpful resources: 📄 PlastChem report on the State of the Science on Plastic Chemicals ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e8CAjkQX  📄 Plastics and the triple planetary crisis ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eymuVFnX  📄 Role of chemicals and polymers of concern in the global plastics treaty ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e5-RWHtn  📄Science-based recommendations for plastic chemicals to inform an effective global plastic treaty ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dXgbDG3K 📚 Explore all of our resources or ask us a question ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eMvvq7iA

🧪 Over 16,000 chemicals can be present in plastics. Some of them are toxic and can leach out to negatively impact both human and environmental health. 🤝 To help the UN Environment Programme's INC process develop an effective new global plastics treaty that addresses this, our independent scientists published a peer-reviewed article in Science of the Total Environment (STOTEN). It outlines six essential pillars necessary for reducing plastic pollution and chemical detoxification of plastics across their full life cycle: 1️⃣ Reduce and simplify plastic chemicals 2️⃣ Design safe and sustainable plastic chemicals 3️⃣ Provide incentives for change 4️⃣ Use holistic approaches for alternatives 5️⃣ Ensure just and equitable interventions 6️⃣ Center human rights 📄 Read the full article ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dAU_z7xe 📚 Explore our policy briefs and resources ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eMvvq7iA 🙋🏽♀️🙋♂️ Have questions or need scientific support? Reach out to us ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eMvvq7iA A special thanks to all the co-authors: Dr. Susanne Brander, Kala Ranee Senathirajah, Marina Olga Fernandez, PhD, Judith Weis, Eva Kumar, Annika Jahnke, Nanna Bloch Hartmann, Juan Jose Alava, Trisia Farrelly, Bethanie Carney Almroth, Ksenia Groh, Kristian Syberg, Johanna Bürkert, Amila Abeynayaka, Andy Booth, Xavier Cousin, Dorte Herzke, Laura Monclús Anglada, Carmen Morales Caselles, Andrea Bonisoli Alquati, Rana Aljaibachi, PhD, MRSB, Martin Wagner

🤝 Our scientists have supported UN Environment Programme’s International Negotiating Committee since its first meeting in November 2022 including through short publications summarizing the latest science, expert presentations, and being available to meet with negotiators and answer their questions. 🌍 Since then, we have grown to over 350 independent scientists from more than 60 countries representing many relevant scientific fields and disciplines. 💡 How and why do we volunteer our time to support negotiators within this process? Check out our new peer-reviewed article in the journal Microplastics and Nanoplastics to learn about our Coalition and how we organize ourselves. ☝️ Not only do we want negotiators to feel confident in our scientific dissemination, but documenting our experience can help other researchers who might want to self-organize to inform important policy processes in the future. 📄 Read more in the open access publication ➡️ https://lnkd.in/d63RmSgG  📚 Explore our policy briefs and resources ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eMvvq7iA  🙋🏽♀️🙋♂️ Have a question or need scientific support? Get in touch using our Help Desk ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eMvvq7iA #PlasticsPollution #SciencePolicyInterface #ScienceCommunication

🙋♀️🙋🏽♂️ Missed our discussion panel at INC-4 in Ottawa featuring key messages from independent science for negotiating an effective plastics treaty? 🥳 You can easily rewatch it and get clear insights from Tara Olsen, Martin Wagner, Natalia de Miranda Grilli, and Rufino Varea! 👏 Thank you to our scientists for sharing their expertise, and thanks to everyone for joining our ‘Night of Science’ event at INC-4 in Ottawa! 🎥 Watch the full panel discussion here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/greAjAKu 📚 Learn more and explore our many helpful resources ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eMvvq7iA

🎤 “Science and human rights have the power to inspire hope and allow us to reimagine a world guided by evidence, a world that puts people, not greed and not profit, at the center of decision-making.” -Ana Paula De Souza from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the relationship between human rights and science. 👏 Thank you for your leadership, and thanks to everyone for joining our ‘Night of Science’ event at INC-4 in Ottawa! 🎥 Watch her full intervention here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gN58rvSx 📚 Learn more and explore our many helpful resources ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eMvvq7iA

🎤 What is the Scientists’ Coalition, and how are we supporting the global plastics treaty negotiations? Scientist and coordinator of the Coalition Trisia Farrelly gives a run-down of what should be prioritized according to independent science. 👏 Thank you for guiding our group, and thanks to everyone for joining our ‘Night of Science’ event at INC-4 in Ottawa! 🎥 Watch her full intervention here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gRphkcEf 📚 Learn more and explore our many helpful resources ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eMvvq7iA

🎤 “We’ve seen marine litter come forward as early as the first United Nations Environment Assembly as an issue. [...] and we would like to credit the engagement of the science community in getting this issue from a marine issue all the way to a life-cycle issue [...].” -Brenda Koekkoek from the INC secretariat on the impact the scientific community has had on the development of a legally binding instrument. 👏 Thank you for your leadership, and thanks to everyone for joining our ‘Night of Science’ event at INC-4 in Ottawa! 🎥 Watch her full intervention here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gKWQ6D3x 📚 Learn more and explore our many helpful resources ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eMvvq7iA

🎤 “Indigenous people still live off their lands, they still harvest, they still carry that culture and tradition and the connection to the land, and the more we tell people what’s happening in our territories the less people listen. But I’m in a room now with folks that are ready, willing to listen and to center indigenous science and work with us.” -Tori Cress, representative for the SOCIETY OF NATIVE NATIONS on the importance of listening to the voices of the Indigenous communities and learning from their knowledge and experience. 👏 Thank you for your leadership, and thanks to everyone for joining our ‘Night of Science’ event at INC-4 in Ottawa! 🎥 Watch her full intervention here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/g44ynKbt 📚 Learn more and explore our many helpful resources ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eMvvq7iA