MINISTER ALBINA RUIZ: GLOBAL AGREEMENT ON PLASTIC POLLUTION MUST REGULATE ITS PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION WITH A CIRCULAR ECONOMY VISION

Kenya: Peruvian Minister of the Environment participates in the 3Th Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-3) on plastic pollution, taking place in Nairobi.

Nairobi - The future legally binding international instrument on plastic pollution should have a comprehensive approach that includes provisions to promote its sustainable production and consumption under the circular economy approach, through preventive actions such as the eco-design of products, and proper waste management, proposed the Minister of Environment of Perú, Albina Ruiz.

                                                  

This was expressed during the event "Promoting sustainable consumption and production of plastics", held within the framework of the third session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-3), to develop the aforementioned global agreement, which is being developed in Nairobi, Kenya.

In this context, she emphasized the need to establish policies that combine specific mandatory and voluntary regulatory control measures, complemented by the development of national planning instruments in accordance with the particularities of each situation.

She also stressed the importance of consensus and synergistic work between countries. "If we only focus on developing national action plans in isolation, without a common vision and without control measures, it will not be enough to achieve sustainable plastic consumption and production, nor will it be enough to reverse the current global plastic pollution scenario", she warned.

Peruvian experience

In his welcome message to the participants at the meeting, she highlighted that Peru enacted Law n.° 30884, which regulates single-use plastic and disposable containers or packaging, whose application, between 2019 and 2022, has achieved a reduction of around 86% in the consumption of single-use plastic bags (approximately 96 million units) that have ceased to be used.

She also highlighted the signing of the Clean Production Agreements, which have stopped the use of more than 950 tons of virgin raw material for the manufacture of plastic products and have ensured the recovery of more than 59 thousand tons of post-consumer plastic.

In another moment, Minister Albina Ruiz pointed that this session is an opportunity that "will allow the development of concrete actions for the plastics industry sector consolidate its transition towards a fair circular economy with a territorial approach".

The side event was organized by the Nordic Council of Environment and Climate Ministers, FAO, Sustentar Association, International Council of Beverages Associations and the Waste and Resources Action Program (WRAP), with the aim of exploring the enabling conditions, best practices and challenges for the efficient production and consumption of plastic in line with the objectives of the circular economy, with a view to the role that the future global agreement will play.