New UNEP Report Sparks Controversy Ahead of Global Plastics Treaty Negotiations
Civil society organizations, academics, and frontline groups are expressing their concern over UNEP’s newly released Spotlight report promoting burning plastic waste in cement kilns as a key strategy in the design and implementation of the Global Plastics Treaty.
“Burning plastic waste in cement kilns is a ‘get out of jail free card’ for the plastic industry to keep ramping up plastic production by claiming that the plastic problem can be simply burned away,” says Dr. Neil Tangri, Science and Policy Director at Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA). “Not only does this pose a grave climate and public health threat, it also undermines the primary goal of the global plastic treaty –putting a cap on plastic production.”
Widespread burning of waste in cement kilns would create a “lock-in effect,” perversely creating demand for cheap plastic waste for fuel that would defy global efforts towards restricting plastic production.