Proposed Solution Of The Plastic Problem By New Zealand

Background

Plastic waste pollution, without any doubt, is a pressing matter of importance. It poses a huge danger to the environment, the results will have execrable effects on marine life. A country within Asia-Pacific, New Zealand is classed as a developed country with one the highest rate of urban waste production per capita, coming in with a usage gauging at about 750 million plastic bags a year. New Zealand is lagging behind, not keeping pace with with many other countries in this movement to reduce the usage of plastic and therefore plays a key role in maintaining the biological security of the ocean and aquatic life, ensuring it does not further contribute to the plastic waste pollution problem at hand more than it already is. It is of utmost importance to have an effective take on the issue.

Stance

New Zealand recognizes and acknowledges the adverse impacts plastic waste have on the environment and thus, is actively moving towards a, to quote Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister, ‘circular economy where we make, use and return products and materials instead of the current model where we take resources, use them, then dispose of them’, unquote, that it firmly maintains its strong beliefs in which will tackle the plastic problem. In the recent year, measures have been taken. On February 2018, New Zealand joined the CleanSeas campaign, as led by the United Nations (UN) to clear the oceans of plastics. And, soon in June the 7th of 2018, a ban on microbeads took place, both manufacturing and sales of products containing microbeads would be against the law. Just recently, occurring on the 10th of August 2018, it has been announced that New Zealand will be banning plastic bags.

Additionally, however confined nations are by borders, pollution is not. New Zealand believes that countries must come together and unite against this enormity and have begun taking preventive measures to contribute to this initiative.

Proposed solution

In light of the urgency of the plastic problem, New Zealand firmly believes that intercontinental reliance on plastic has to be reduced. New Zealand urges all states and non-states act so to their interests and carry out within an admissible time frame a shift towards a circular economy in which have alternatives that are designed to either be renewable, environmentally friendly when degraded or allow for greater durability.

Concurrently, New Zealand would like to propose a global partnership in benefit of a mutual development in green technology innovations and integrating its capabilities, inclusive of sharing of information and funds aiding in international developments of green technology. With ever-growing ocean gyres in mind, through this partnership, states all together can provide funds and/or resources to aid in a gradual global cleanup of these garbage patches. By means of this partnership, top polluting countries can be assisted and guided in decreasing the impacts of plastic pollution, states may volunteer to offer funded campaigns to raise awareness on the problem. This could result in a global shift towards a well rounded economy which consequently could make certain plastic waste to be exported in a way which ensures a sustainable plastic recycling economy that could lower the global plastic usage and waste