Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics
UNEP Tackling marine plastics: a systems approach; Nairobi, 2018. Plastic pollution has reached every part of the planet, from the Arctic to the depths of the Mariana Trench. There are even microplastics in the food we eat and in the water we drink. In 2021, North Carolina water custodians began sampling water at 15 locations across the state to learn more about the types of microplastics present and how much is accumulating. This year, they installed garbage trout – permeable equipment that floats on water and collects debris such as expanded polystyrene cups and plastic bottles – at each site for cleaning and data collection purposes. Microplastics are also present on earth. One contributing source is the tiny powdered car tire pellets, also known as styrene butadiene, which are used in the production of artificial grass for sports fields. This UN report provides a global overview of countries` progress in adopting laws and regulations restricting single-use plastics. UNEP mapping of the global plastics value chain and plastic losses to the environment (with a particular focus on the marine environment).
However, when local communities like Durham, Asheville and others support these initiatives calling for a ban or a fee on single-use plastic bags, they need to determine whether they have the legal authority to do so. UNEP Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics: A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations. 2018. According to a report by the United Nations Environment Programme, more than 400 million tons of plastic waste are produced each year worldwide. Over time, a large percentage of plastic waste breaks down into smaller particles, commonly known as microplastics, that are less than 5 mm long. While there are currently no bans or fees for single-use plastic bags in North Carolina, there are several communities where retail stores such as restaurants and cafes implement environmentally friendly policies for their operations. First in Science: Arctic ice stores and transports microplastics UNEA Resolution 4 Resolutions and decisions adopted by the Committee of the Whole of the United Nations Environment Assembly at its fourth session from 11 to 15 March 2019. Marine plastics and microplastics Innovative ways to achieve sustainable consumption and production Environmentally sound waste management Sound chemicals management and protection of marine litter from land At the national level, 10 plus Puerto Rico states have introduced bans on single-use plastic bags. There is no one in the south. UNEP Marine plastic debris and microplastics – Global lessons and research to inspire action and guide policy change; 2016. UNEA Resolution 2 on marine plastic litter and microplastics, This report provides a global overview of countries` progress in adopting laws and regulations that restrict the production, import, sale, use and disposal of certain single-use plastics and microplastics that have a major impact on marine litter generation.
Most recently, Rep. Pricey Harrison (D-Greensboro) supported House Bill 959, which called for a ban on single-use, non-recyclable products. However, there has been no recent activity on the bill introduced last year. A Durham environmental group has lobbied for a national proposal to impose a 10-cent tax on single-use plastic bags. Activists across the state are eagerly watching whether Durham local government officials will push North Carolina`s only policy to keep plastic waste out of the environment. This report describes the origins of plastics and traces their roots in the fossil fuel industry. FAO. (2017).
Microplastics in Fisheries and Aquaculture This report, the first of its kind, examines the health effects of plastics throughout their life cycle. Plastic pollution is a global crisis that causes great adversity for public health and the environment. Given the origin of plastics from fossil fuels, the extraction and refining processes of these petrochemicals create hazardous conditions in the air and water, especially for community members living near these sites. Plastics can contain hazardous substances such as bisphenol A and PFAS, which have been linked to deteriorating health. Because these materials are used after the consumer, they can be incinerated, landfilled and exported, creating additional health and environmental challenges. Examples of the impact on the oceans include reports of whale deaths due to plastic, the discovery of plastic at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, and reports of the tripling of plastic in the oceans by 2050. The impact on freshwater is evident in the fact that microplastics have been found in urban tap water, bottled water, the Great Lakes and our rivers. First in science: microplastics accumulate in marine life in just 6 hours from IUCN (2017). Primary Microplastics in the Oceans: A Global Assessment of Sources9 This was not the first time state legislators had taken an interest in preventing plastic waste. In 2009, former Democratic Senator Marc Basnight of Dare County introduced a bill calling for a ban on single-use plastic bags in retail stores in Outer Banks communities. The law was passed and a ban was enacted from 2009 until 2017, when it was repealed by a Republican-led legislature.
The white paper also states that it costs Durham more than $86,000 a year in related costs. First in science: Source of plastic pollution for methane emissions Plastic waste affects not only marine life, but also humans. A recent study found that 5 grams of plastic particles, roughly equivalent to the weight of a credit card, are ingested by humans every week. A global challenge that requires local and state solutions “We were able to pull numbers from this trout collection to really quantify the amount [of plastic waste] that could be prevented from reaching our waterways if we had reasonable laws to clean up plastics,” said Emily Sutton, Haw Riverkeeper and project coordinator.
