This blog post was written by Olivia Miller, a 2024 EarthEcho Marine Plastics Ambassador.

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What is plastic pollution? It's the wrappers that blow out of the garbage bin, cigarettes that flow down the storm drain, and nurdles dumped off boats. It is the trash found in animal stomachs, microplastics found in our blood and brains, and in our water. Plastic pollution harms our global environment and wildlife, but that is not all. It affects our economy and jobs all over the world, especially if you work with water, wildlife, or tourism at all. It also has social impacts when it comes to topics like who is being affected and targeted by plastic pollution.

A Global Plastics Treaty is necessary because – no matter where you are on this earth – you are likely affected by plastic pollution. Although it has been found that some of us are targeted more directly than others, it does not matter if your home is an island or landlocked, is warm or cold, or has a low or high population. It does not matter what language you speak or the clothes you wear. When it comes to plastic pollution, we are all in this together.

Even though we may seem far away from each other, in different countries and continents, one thing connects us all: water. The streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans connect us all. We are all connected by water, and the plastic pollution threatening it, so we need to work together to overcome it. If we do not unite and take a global approach to this, we will be far less successful.

The Global Plastics Treaty should also include global recycling guidelines and practices used worldwide. We need to continue to normalize recycling and make it as accessible as possible for ALL communities. This should include education about practicing proper recycling, and how to reuse at home.

Neither of those things will mean anything unless we get rid of certain types of plastics. Some kinds of plastic can’t be recycled or reused easily. If the products are harder to recycle, it will not matter that we have these great recycling practices in place. Also, if there are other materials that can be used instead of plastic, why are we using plastic in the first place?

The treaty should focus on a mixture of regulations, innovation, and building awareness. We need regulations to keep companies accountable. We have the right as consumers to be safe, and to have a choice on what we purchase. Well, we definitely aren’t safe when plastic produced by big companies is in the water we drink, right? Or found in our bodies? That does not seem safe to me. When I think about the right to choose, I think about how hard it can be to find sustainable products, and how little is accessible to all communities, especially when considering socio-cultural/economic status. This really eliminates the ability to choose to purchase products that we believe help plastic reduction efforts. 

When it comes to innovation, we have come so far with new ideas to reduce plastic pollution, and that momentum needs to keep going. As the world keeps spinning and going on each day, we need to move with it and continue with research and innovation to build on our efforts.

Awareness needs to be a part of the Global Plastics Treaty. We are beings that need to understand why. We need to know how things affect us and why it matters. If we do all this work to reduce plastic, but no one understands why it is so important to the health of ourselves and our home, earth, it would be almost for nothing. I believe there needs to be more K-12 education on plastic pollution and sustainability. Those are the years we are like sponges and soak up information. It is when we learn and shape our beliefs to lead us through adulthood. Education absolutely needs to be considered while creating a global treaty.

This treaty needs to be inclusive and take the disparities and capabilities of different countries into consideration. Even though we all deal with this problem, we are inherently different. Some countries are less developed or have less resources and that should be recognized and accounted for in the treaty. We need to create regulation, innovation, and awareness that can be implemented at different capacities and with help and support if needed by some.

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My role as an EarthEcho Marine Plastics Ambassador has 100% deepened my understanding of plastic pollution. Before I became a part of the program, I had a drive and interest in the issue and how I could make a difference, but I had only scratched the surface of the depth of the problem. In this experience, we explored plastic pollution in many different lenses including policy, production, media, education, business, etc. I learned the depth of this problem and how it really affects so many factors of our lives that I had not even considered before. 

I think the biggest takeaway from my experience has been how connected we are to this issue, and how at the end of the day we really are in this together. Because I have been able to see how we all deal with this, and are working towards a solution globally, it really shows how important the Global Plastics Treaty is. I believe that since we all need to tackle this problem together, my work in this organization has definitely been a part of the global effort. Not only have I influenced those in my home community, but I have been given the opportunity to collaborate with people all over the country and across the world online and in person at the EarthEcho Youth Ambassador Retreat in Seattle, Washington. No matter who you are and how big of an impact we think we might be making, it all adds to the global effort to combat plastic pollution. 

Young people are heavily affected by plastic pollution, and we can contribute to the success of a Global Plastics Treaty. I would highly encourage everyone to get involved in any way you can, and make sure your voice is heard, because it matters. If you need some help figuring out how to get into advocacy, like I did, I recommend finding the resources and groups locally that you can get involved with. Even finding a friend to research with, perform cleanups to spread awareness, and write letters to your policymakers. There are also many other organizations like EarthEcho that have a plethora of information and fun and impactful ways you can connect to youth globally to continue the conversation and action. 

If I could give one message to the world leaders and policymakers as they work toward finalizing this treaty it would be this. Keep “the little guys” in mind while creating the treaty. Listen to us and what we believe is important. Not everyone has the privilege to be a part of those conversations, and we trust you to advocate for us and create a Global Plastics Treaty that is effective, representative, and provides accessibility.

Lastly, thank you for the work you have done so far, I believe we can make this happen.

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