>> PLASTIC WASTE IS PILING UP IN

LANDFILLS, SEWER SYSTEMS, AND IN

THE OCEAN.

THE UNITED NATIONS SET A GOAL OF

SHARPLY REDUCING PLASTIC

POLLUTION BY 2040.

>> LAUNCHED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE

SEA OR FLOATING ON TOP OF IT,

MANY WATERWAYS ARE CLOGGED WITH

PLASTIC.

THE MAN-MADE NONBIODEGRADABLE

SUBSTANCE IS HURTING WILDLIFE

AND IS SHOWING UP ALMOST

EVERYWHERE WE LOOK.

RESEARCHERS ALMOST -- RECENTLY

DISCOVERED PLASTIC MELTED INTO

ROCKS ON A REMOTE ISLAND.

IT IS CIRCULATING IN THE AIR WE

BREATHE.

IT MADE ITS WAY INTO OUR

BLOODSTREAM.

THE PLASTIC PROBLEM IS NOT NEW.

IT'S REACH SEEMS TO HAVE NO

LIMITS.

430 METRIC TONS OF PLASTIC

PRODUCED EACH YEAR.

TWO THIRDS OF WHICH ALMOST

INSTANTLY AFTER BEING USED HE

COMES GARBAGE.

PLASTIC PRODUCTION SET TO TRIPLE

BY 2060.

TO LIMIT THE FLOW OF WASTE.

>> IT IS UNDECIDED.

>> IN NAIROBI, KENYA, 103

NATIONS AGREED THE WORLD MUST

GET THE PLASTIC PROBLEM UNDER

CONTROL.

>> WE WILL HAVE A STRONG GLOBAL

INTERNATIONAL AND COMPREHENSIVE

FRAMEWORK ON PLASTIC POLLUTION.

>> THE U.N. RELEASED THIS REPORT

LAYING OUT CONCRETE STEPS NEEDED

TO DO IT.

TURNING OFF THE TAP, HOW THE

WORLD COULD END PLASTIC ALEUTIAN

AND CREATE A CIRCULAR ECONOMY IT

AIMS TO/PLASTIC POLLUTION BY 80%

BY 2040.

HOW TO REALIZE THE GOAL IS THE

TASK OF DELEGATES MEETING IN

PARIS TO WORK ON A LEGALLY

BINDING AGREEMENT.

THE HEAD OF THE UNITED NATIONS

ENVIRONMENT PROGRAM WILL LEAD

THE NEGOTIATIONS.

I SPOKE WITH HER RECENTLY.

>> THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

BEFORE WE GET TO THE SOLUTIONS

YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT, TALK

ABOUT THE PROBLEM.

ESPECIALLY IN THE U.S. BUT

WORLDWIDE, WE'VE HEARD THE

PHRASE REDUCE, REUSE, AND

RECYCLE FOR WHAT FEELS LIKE A

GENERATION.

YET WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN OUR HANDS

AROUND THIS PROBLEM.

WHY IS THAT?

>> IT IS HARD, THIS RECYCLE

STORY IS NOT A SIMPLE AS IT

SOUNDS.

I CAN PUT MY PLASTIC TOOTHPASTE

TUBE IN MY RECYCLING BIN.

IT DOES NOT ALWAYS MAKE ITS WAY.

GLOBALLY, WE PRODUCE ABOUT 430

MILLION TONS OF PLASTIC A YEAR.

9% OF THAT ENDS UP BEING

RECYCLED.

IT IS CLEARLY SOMETHING WE NEED

TO DEAL WITH AND RECYCLING IS

NOT THE ONLY ANSWER.

WE NEED TO RETHINK THE ENTIRE

SYSTEM OF PLASTIC PRODUCTION.

>> WALK ME THROUGH THE DETAILS,

HOW DO WE DIVERT THIS TIDE TO A

MORE PRODUCTIVE AND HEALTHY

STREAM?

>> WE LIQUEFY A LOT OF STUFF

THAT 20 YEARS AGO WAS NOT

LIQUID.

LET'S TAKE SOAP OR LAUNDRY

DETERGENT.

IT IS LIQUID, CERTAINLY IN THE

U.S. MARKET.

IT USED TO BE POWDER, AND COULD

BE TRANSPORTED.

THINK ABOUT SOAP THAT WE WASH

OUR HANDS WITH.

IT USED TO BE IN A BAR, NOW WE

NEED THE CONVENIENCE OF THE

PUMP.

WE HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES IF IT

IS WORTH IT WHEN WE UNDERSTAND

THE LOOK WITH ACACIAN OF THE

PRODUCT FOR OUR CONVENIENCE.

YES, BUT IT IS VERY INCONVENIENT

FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.

WE NEED TO RETHINK AND REDESIGN

THE PRODUCTS THEMSELVES, WE NEED

TO MAKE SURE WE MINIMIZE THE

WASTEFUL SINGLE USE PLASTIC BAG

WE ARE GOING TO BE USING FOR 10

MINUTES AS WE CARRY TOMATOES

HOME FROM THE STORE, AND

DEPENDING ON THE POLYMER, IT CAN

BE BETWEEN 100 AND 1000 YEARS.

THAT IS NOT VERY EFFICIENT USE

OF A RESOURCE.

THERE ARE INDUSTRY LEADERS

SAYING IF WE DON'T GET IT RIGHT,

IT DETRACTS FROM THE VALUE.

IT DETRACTS FROM THE PRIDE IN

WORKERS HAVING THIS PRODUCT IF

IT IS BOBBING AROUND THE OCEAN.

IT IS NOT GOOD FOR BUSINESS OR

THE BRAND.

SO LET'S FIND SOLUTIONS.

>> SOME OF WHAT YOUR REPORT IS

CALLING FOR IS THE CREATION OF A

CIRCULAR ECONOMY AROUND

PLASTICS.

IS IT POSSIBLE WHEN WE KNOW THE

PLASTIC KEEPS BREAKING DOWN IN

THE ENVIRONMENT?

ARE THOSE THINGS COMPATIBLE?

>> THERE ARE MANY THINGS WE CAN

EXIT.

CIRCULATOR IS NOT THE SOLUTION.

IT IS ONE OF THE ELEMENTS OF THE

SOLUTION.

THAT MEANS TAKEBACK SCHEMES,

WHETHER EXTENDED PRODUCER

RESPONSIBILITY OR MUNICIPAL

TAKEBACK SCHEMES, THERE ARE MANY

THINGS WE HAVE SEEN ACROSS

DIFFERENT COUNTRIES.

IN CHILE, WHICH IS A POORER

COUNTRY THAN THE U.S., YOU BUY A

BOTTLE AND IT IS YOURS FOR KEEPS

AND IT HAS AN ELECTRONIC GADGET

SO WHEN YOU GO TO THE MACHINE,

THE MACHINE KNOWS IT IS YOUR

BOTTLE.

YOU PUT IN THE MONEY THAT YOU

WANT AND YOU GET THE DETERGENT

FROM THE MACHINE YOU WANT.

IF YOU CAN ALONE -- ONLY AFFORD

THIS MUCH, THAT IS WHAT YOU GET.

SO REFILL SCHEMES ARE VERY

INTERESTING.

I THINK WE HAVE TO THINK ACROSS

THE ENTIRE CHAMBER.

CIRCULARITY WILL BE PART OF IT.

>> YOU LOOK AT THESE UPCOMING

NEGOTIATIONS, WHAT STAND OUT AS

THE BIGGEST ROADBLOCKS TO THIS

TYPE OF CHANGE YOU ARE TALKING

ABOUT?

>> ANY SYSTEMS CHANGE OF THIS

SIZE IS DIFFICULT.

MY CONCERN WILL BE IT MADE BE IN

SOME LOCATIONS AND SOME MEMBER

STATES A DESIRE TO FOCUS ON

WASTE MANAGEMENT.

BUT WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE WHOLE

THING.

I THINK ACROSS THE POLITICAL

SPECTRUM FROM LEFT TO RIGHT AND

ACROSS THE WORLD, THERE IS A

DESIRE TO FIND SOLUTIONS.

THAT IS UNIQUE.

IT IS SIMILAR TO THE OZONE

NEGOTIATIONS WE HAD IN THE LATE

1970'S AND EARLY 1980'S.

IT WAS CLEAR WE NEEDED TO EXIT

THESE CHEMICALS THAT DEGRADED

THE OZONE LAYERS AND WERE

OPENING HUMAN HEALTH TO CANCERS

AND OURSELVES TO RUNAWAY CLIMATE

CHANGE AND IMPACTS.

AT THE TIME IT WAS SAID IT IS

IMPOSSIBLE.

ENABLING OUR COOLING SYSTEMS AND

AIR DISHING AND FIRE RETARDANT

AND SPRAY CANS.

AND WE DID IT.

IT IS DIFFICULT.

BUT WHEN WE DO IT RIGHT, WE CAN

DO IT.

>> OF THE UNITED NATIONS

ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.