In Nairobi, Kenya, delegates from several fossil fuel-producing countries backed by a network of plastics industry trade groups have stalled talks on a global treaty to curb plastic waste. Representatives from around 150 countries to the U.N.-brokered talks failed to reach an agreement after countries including Saudi Arabia and Russia pushed for more plastic recycling, rather than limits to plastic production. This is Graham Forbes, head of Greenpeace’s delegation in Nairobi.
Graham Forbes: “The reality is that we’ve only recycled about 9% of the plastic that’s ever been produced. We cannot recycle our way out of this problem. And so what Greenpeace is calling for is cutting plastic production and accelerating a reuse-based economy. We expect the negotiations to finance, create standards and accelerate reuse at a global scale.”