Plastic waste is one of the most important environmental problems right now. It is because the world can’t keep up with the fast growth of throwaway plastic products. Plastic waste is worst in Asia and Africa. Here, trash collection methods are often not very good or don’t exist at all. A Global Plastic Treaty sponsored by the UN has the special ability to provide clear guidelines for a future free from plastic pollution. It compels all nations to a high common norm on plastic usage.

What Is the Global Plastic Treaty?

From the most remote mountains to the deepest ocean, plastic waste has been found everywhere on earth. Other than that, it is causing damage to wildlife and the environment. Therefore, millions of people are deprived of living from what they earn through their labour. Further, it is not good for the health of the individuals and the world’s economy. Hence, you must know “what is the Global Plastic Treaty?” to understand its impact for a better environmental future. 

In March 2022, the United Nations Environmental Assembly met in Nairobi, Kenya, to deliberate on world plastic waste. To combat plastic waste, 175 countries would support a new goal plastic treaty. The countries agreed to hasten the process so that the treaty would take effect as early as 2025.

Key Objectives of the Treaty

The main focus of the Global Plastic Treaty is to encourage countries to work together to solve the issue of plastic pollution worldwide. This can be achieved in various ways, such as reducing plastic waste, making recycling easier, and shifting to a better economy. So, basically, the treaty stresses the importance of saving ecosystems, especially coastal ones, and backs new ways of dealing with plastic waste.

Progress of Negotiations

The fifth meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to create an international law that will protect sea life from plastic waste (INC-5). It began in Busan, Republic of Korea. After the four rounds of negotiations conducted already, namely INC-1 held in Punta del Este November 2022, INC-2 conducted in Paris June 2023, INC-3 conducted in Nairobi November 2023, and INC-4 held in Ottawa April 2024, the fifth round, INC-5, is set to end the negotiation and to approve the agreement’s text.

Challenges Faced

The negotiations in Busan failed for a number of reasons. Here are some challenges faced by the global plastic treaty:

  1. One of the most controversial issues was whether the treaty should set clear goals for lowering the amount of plastic produced worldwide.
  2. Many nations, especially those that support the High Ambition Coalition, believe that reducing plastic manufacture is crucial to successfully addressing pollution at its source.
  3. A group of oil-producing countries, such as Russia and Saudi Arabia, were against any parts of the deal that would limit output.
Image of plastic material caught stuck in fishing net from ocean

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Implications for India

India is a significant source of plastic pollution worldwide. Besides, the country is in a crucial yet challenging position during the Global Plastic Treaty negotiations. Now, it is responsible for about 20% of the world’s plastic waste, so its position has a big effect on how well the deal might work.

India strongly opposes a ban on polymer production, saying that such action would go against the UNEA’s decision. However, India has asked for more useful rules based on national needs and adaptable to local situations. Besides, the country wants the deal to include financial and technical help. It believes that the right means and sharing of technology are needed to handle plastic waste properly.

Global Perspectives

The UN plastic treaty is the most important policy initiative in human history regarding the worldwide effort to combat plastic pollution. The deal could make the plastics economy safer, healthier, and much less damaging. It is based on a repetitive process that doesn’t go beyond the limits of the world.

Plastic waste and issues related to it will get worse, as will its effects on people and nature. It can be more damaging if the treaty process doesn’t work or isn’t as effective as it could be. Besides, the Treaty process, its content, and its implementation play a crucial role in plastics study. In the near future, it will set the stage for all plastic study, and it is also a subject of research in its own right.

Image of fishes inside ocean afraid seeing plastic

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Future Outlook

Concerns about the environmental and social effects of plastic waste entering waterways have led to many new laws and rules around the world regarding plastics and packing. When a global deal on plastic pollution is signed, businesses and countries will all work toward the same goal.

To stop plastic pollution through both required and optional actions based on a full understanding of Plastic lifecycle regulation. Besides, the negotiation for the Global Plastics Treaty has begun, and the process should be over by the end of 2024. The treaty may lead to a future without plastic.

Conclusion

The primary goal of the Global Plastic Treaty is to put an end to plastic waste across the globe by 2040 and reduce its negative impacts on health and the environment. One of its biggest goals is to get rid of single-use plastics. The treaty also aims to make less plastic, promote greener options, and make makers more responsible for handling the whole life cycle of plastics.

Besides, many people are working for the treaty to cover a wide range of known health issues connected to plastic in the environment. Plus, it includes exposure to harmful chemicals, microplastics in food and water, air pollution from burning plastic, and endocrine disruptors.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the Global Plastic Treaty?

    The United Nations decided to draft a new international agreement known as the UN plastic treaty to help end plastic pollution. This important historic step will now make people, animals, and the environment safer from the negative impacts of plastic waste.

    Which countries are leading the negotiations for the treaty?

      To end plastic waste, heads of state, environment ministers, and other officials from 175 countries decided at the end of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2) in March 2022 to make the first international legally binding tool of its kind.

      How will the treaty impact plastic production globally?

        Plastic waste adds millions of waste to the world’s landfills every year, affecting land, water, and the seas. A Global Plastic Treaty could establish an organized international plan to address the production, use, and removal of plastic. This would encourage environmentally friendly habits and cut down on waste at its source.

        What are the main challenges in finalizing the treaty?

          One of the biggest debates was whether the agreement should set clear goals for reducing plastic production worldwide. Many countries, especially those in the High Ambition Coalition, said that reducing plastic production is crucial to dealing with pollution right from the start.

          How does the treaty address the entire lifecycle of plastics?

            The Plastic Pollution Agreement seeks to get countries working together to solve the worldwide problem of plastic waste. The lifecycle approach reduces possible issues from the making stage up to the final disposal stage of plastic products.

            What role does India play in the treaty negotiations?

              India resisted the suggested objectives, claiming that such rules may hinder the nation’s growth. India has taken action to reduce plastic waste, including outlawing short-lived plastics and enacting an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy.

              Chrysalis School is a hidden gem that is absolutely amazing. The experience started when we were driving through in search of school for our kids and saw this attractive newly built school.

              Our interaction with school alumni assured us that our child will be in the best hands with the teachers and staff. The faculty and staff truly care about the students and are available around the clock to help with student needs.

              Cheers!
              Yaduveer Singh & Tanu Chaudhary

              I started my journey at Chrysalis High in the third grade, and have been studying in the same till now and from all these years, I can say that Chrysalis High has the best staff and curriculum.

              PUPA (Prior Understanding of Pupil Attributes) is a unique method used in Chrysalis High to understand a student’s learning ability, skills and emotions. They gain this knowledge from the parents and us in an effort to understand us better. The extracurricular activities, inter-school competitions, sports and cultural days organised help incorporate fun and games along with academics.

              The student council and the elections for its positions familiarise a student with a sense of responsibility and teamwork. Studying at Chrysalis High has helped me grow to my full potential and has indeed trained me for the exam called life.

              I would like to thank all the teachers and staff at Chrysalis High for making my learning experience the best.

              Indrani-Singh

              Ms. Indrani Singh

              Chief Vision Officer, Principal, Chrysalis High Marq & Head - Chrysalis Kids

              Ms. Indrani Singh possesses a MSc and B.Ed degree to her credit. She has over 10 years of experience in the field of education and has climbed the rungs of leadership with her sheer dedication, hard work and love for her profession. She joined as the Head of Chrysalis Kids in 2013, which is a pre primary school of Chrysalis. Her out of box thinking and her ideology of doing the right thing for the children have helped her to pioneer new processes to make learning an enriching experience for the children. Across a period of seven years, Ms. Indrani Singh has become a flag bearer of Chrysalis vision, especially the PUPA (Prior Understanding of Pupil Attributes) Program. Indrani brought in the idea of Pre-CHAMPS to all Chrysalis schools. Known for her ideation & focus on quality, Indrani leaves no stone unturned to ensure children have a wonderful learning experience at Chrysalis. In 2017, she was made Associate Academic Director – Pre Primary & again promoted to Academic Director – Pre Primary, a role she handles along with the responsibilities of Chrysalis High, Marq. Under her supervision and guidance, many initiatives like Pre-CHAMPS, AwSTEM, Festival of learning were initiated and appreciated by all. Today she handles multitude of responsibilities from heading two schools to overseeing the Pre-Primary Curriculum Team of Chrysalis as the Academic Director. In addition to these profiles, she was recently promoted as Chief Vision Officer to propel PUPA, an initiative of Chrysalis, to greater heights. To this day, her ideas and her sheer determination to always try something different and new makes her a formidable and integral part of Chrysalis. With an unending pandemic looming over us, the future for education looked uncertain. But Ms. Indrani with her belief that learning should not stop for the children, ideated on the perfect balance of online and live class model to suit the learning styles of the children. The plan started with what best would suit the children and also help the working parents who were facing their own challenges and obstacles. The online model started with curriculum videos which the Chrysalis teachers recorded with the right guidance and methodology which was well defined by her. The live classes began with once a week class to slowly introduce the children to digital learning. With children adapting to live class, the sessions increased to add more to their knowledge. Teachers were sensitized about the challenges of live class and how to ensure that they do the right thing for the children and be an integral part in their learning given the circumstances. Providing the right support to parents and the challenges they faced, were also key elements of the whole digital teaching process. Providing individual support to the children was one way to ensure we partnered with parents to provide the right support to the children and ensure that the learning did not stop.

              Transport

              We provide a fleet of well-maintained buses with trained drivers and lady attendants. Special care is taken while appointing the drivers, to ensure that only the experienced and qualified drivers are appointed after undergoing a driving test. The buses are equipped with safety equipment and a first-aid kit in case of an emergency.

              Being GPS enabled, the school can locate the position of a bus at any time during commute and in case of a breakdown, can send a replacement bus instantly. To avoid rash driving and speeding, speed governors are installed in all the buses.

              Salient Features

              Nutrition

              The School serves balanced and nutritious vegetarian snacks and lunch to students who have opted for the facility.

              To supervise students during lunchtime, a teacher is appointed for monitoring each table. Children are trained to keep themselves clean and display correct dining manners.

              Reverse Osmosis systems for purifying drinking water are available across the campus throughout the day.

              Student Safety and School Security

              Safety Always a step ahead!

              Chrysalis is inarguably the only school where at no point of time, any child is left without supervision of a female teacher!

              CCTV Cameras- Entire premises

              Precautionary measures

              Working at Chrysalis High has been a wholesome experience for me. What stands out for me is the support I receive from the school management in standing by my vision and passion as a teacher.

              It would not be an exaggeration in the slightest, if I said that I feel always supported by the principal, coordinator and staff in performing my duties to the best of my abilities. This makes me confident that I would be given room to grow as an educator. It feels great to be part of a group that takes meaningful steps towards turning our philosophy and values into action!

              The values we would love to instill in our students at Chrysalis High are strongly rooted in our hearts by our compassionate and efficient school heads and mentors and model them to our students.

              The induction programme has been nothing short of immense learning and much-needed guidance to face all our challenges head-on and it has helped prepare ourselves for the year ahead.

              At Chrysalis High, I find myself doing what I love to do, staying true to what I strongly believe in and above all I can see myself as a passionate learner with new opportunities to learn each and every day. To top it all, the love and support my students shower on me is an additional perk without which I cannot be the happy teacher that I am today.

              Suhasini. S
              Secondary Teacher

              Chrysalis High team integrates compassion into their teaching standards, emphasizes the importance of values and builds leaders through each of their classes and lessons. It allows for a lower student to teacher ratio. Online teaching during difficult times of Covid – 19 was indeed a huge challenge for all schools but the support provided by the school to transcend the challenge of teaching students by providing apt and timely training to teachers in online teaching methodology is commendable. This has been very useful to students as well as their parents. The teachers had worked hard in coming up with innovative methods of teaching to keep the students up breast with subjects with their enthusiasm intact.  It’s been a wonderful journey for me at Chrysalis High so far.  The entire team works in unison with one thought in mind – the betterment of the children.

              My sincere thanks to Principal ma’am, Coordinators and last but not least my colleagues for the constant support and love.

              Upasana Banerjee –
              Primary Teacher

              I am very happy studying at Chrysalis High Bannerghatta Road. I got admission during the lockdown period. The online classes were well organized and very interactive.

              I gained a lot of knowledge during online classes, and the teachers understood us quickly and were there for us at all times. Even though we didn’t meet personally, the atmosphere at Chrysalis was always very warm and supportive. Even though online classes were new to everyone, our teachers were able to identify where we were lagging, and they provided Individual Support Classes (ISP).

              The teachers are very interactive, friendly with us, and support us to come up with our own ideas. Practical explanation of the subject through STEaM is also one of the most exciting sessions in our school. The teachers also covered extracurricular activities and enrichment activities during the online classes. The warm welcome by the teachers to the offline classes made us more excited to attend school and a day at Chrysalis High with my friends and teachers is something that I eagerly look forward to every day.

              Chrysalis High, is a great school which develops a good foundation for kids both academically and also in character building. Both the pre primary and now the primary school years for Samay, have been socially nurturing and academically challenging. Our son loves his school, he has come a long way from his nursery days till today, the 3rd grade.

              Everyone at school, be it the Principal, Coordinators, teachers or the administrative staff, all have been really cooperative and supportive. Chrysalis also has one of the best parent – teacher relationship!

              Overall, Chrysalis High, has been a wonderful experience for both Samay and us till date. We appreciate the great work and looking forward for more!

              Regard,
              Kavita

              I have been in Chrysalis High BG Road since 2018. The teachers have laid a strong foundation, helped me improve on my basics in all subjects and played a major role in me evolving into the best version of myself. My school has given me many opportunities to develop my leadership skills and I will always feel grateful about that. I have made many friends in the last couple of years, thanks to the warm atmosphere at Chrysalis High. During online classes our school left no stone unturned and even though our classes were online, they ensured we learnt with the same enthusiasm.

              My Voyage at Chrysalis High Marq has been spectacular and overwhelming. The school has positive vibes that makes it a beautiful shelter for not only students but also for the teachers. Here at Chrysalis we are motivated to nurture the young minds in the best possible way.

              I learnt number of years of work experience is not that counts, what is more important is the quality one possesses through their learning experience. I thoroughly enjoy teaching and unfaltering curiosity.

              Chrysalis High is an impressive organization that makes educators feel supported and equipped. I ’am proud to be a part of this institution that strive to take eloquent steps to transform our care philosophy and values into effective action.

              I feel privileged to be an integral part of such a proficient and progressive workforce. Chrysalis oozes integrity and excellence that is t=refreshing and essential in our daily duties.

              Chrysalis exemplifies what it means to be an organization that is “To help our children excel by understanding them, guiding them on the right path and strengthening their self belief.”

              I enjoy working at Chrysalis High because this is a place where high energy meets absolute dedication.As a teacher, each day is a new day for me and I fully value the myriad opportunities that enhance my experience.

              I also appreciate the unique working atmosphere and  the collaborative culture  that allows me to grow not only as a professional, but also as a person.

              The school provides me with a lot of scope to interact with children and their parents, and this gives me an opportunity  to gain deeper insights into ways to help each of them achieve their academic goals.

              The school’s vision for children is a guiding principle for all of us. It is indeed a pleasure to work with my immediate superiors who are both-understanding and supportive in all aspects. Together, I am certain that we will have a mutually enriching and exciting academic year ahead.

              Anuradha Shankar Venkataraman,
              Employee, Chrysalis High Marq

              Chrysalis High Marq has paved new roads of possibilities of learning and fruitful experiences for both teachers such as myself and the students.

              The things that are most satisfying for me are the never ending opportunities to learn, perform out of the comfort zone and most importantly the endless love that I receive from the children. Life is a continuous learning process and Chrysalis High Marq has made it possible by giving me many opportunities to be creative in the way I work. The whole team works as a family by supporting and helping each other at any given point of time .

              The motivation, appreciation, support and positivity received by us is in turn passed on to our students. The school believes in the holistic development of all its children and takes all the necessary measures to nurture the young minds in a fruitful way. I am extremely proud to be a part of the Chrysalis High Marq family.

              Shivani
              Educator, Chrysalis High Marq

              In the field of Construction, they say- “ A well-designed and strong foundation keeps the building standing while the forces of nature wreak havoc.” The same purpose that a foundation serves for a building, schooling does for our children- ensures they are wholly prepared for the journey called Life!

              Having worked for a few schools in the past, I was aware of the paramount role a school plays in the initial nurturing of a child. While joining Chrysalis, I expected a similar school environment as in my past, but to my astonishment, things were incredibly better. While the academics here are indeed exceptional, even better is the focus on the character development of each child. Teachers know their Children really well, beyond just recalling the child’s name; all thanks to initiatives like PUPA. The teachers nurture children in a way that is not just caring and loving but also instills in them qualities like compassion, collaboration, empathy and many more from an early age. Children are also encouraged in a way that they constantly thrive to develop confidence in their own unique abilities.

              Well, what we reap is what we sow; and not just the teachers but the whole team in Chrysalis believes in this fact. We work together tirelessly because we know we are nurturing kids to form a responsible and noble generation for the future!

              Anjali E
              Faculty, Chrysalis High Marq

              I have been a student at Chrysalis High Marq for two school years and from what I have experienced, I can tell you it is a great school. The staff is excellent and the rules help keep the school safe and in order.

              There is an equal balance of learning and reviewing the information. There are enrichment activity classes as well to where we have life skill and ink well sessions that help in the refinement and polishing of the mind. Chrysalis has initiated many activities for students. We have engrossing and fun-filled Indoor Champs, Performing Arts classes, Buddy interaction time etc. The teachers in Chrysalis are hardworking and determined . I am so proud and lucky to go to Chrysalis!

              Sean Lennon
              Grade VIII