June reminds us that there is no planet B. This month we commemorate two key dates for sustainability: World Environment Day (June 5) and World Oceans Day (June 8). And while this year's global motto for Environment Day confronts us with an urgent reality —“No plastic pollution”—, it is also an opportunity to recognize the steps being taken to reduce plastic production and pollution.
“Eleven million metric tons of plastics enter our oceans every year, in addition to the estimated 200 million metric tons that are already circulating in our marine environments, according to data from the Ocean Conservatory. (...) At the current rate of production, by the middle of the century there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean.” Source: - United Nations Foundation
The challenges posed by plastic pollution in the oceans are as real as they are urgent, but so are the solutions being promoted.
This month, at ReciVeci®, we focus on two complementary realities: on the one hand, we look to the local to understand the dimensions of pollution through an emblematic case -the Galapagos Islands-, one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet. And, on the other hand, we explore initiatives that, at the national and international levels, seek to develop legal tools and instruments to reduce this environmental crisis, laying the foundations for a real and concrete transformation.
Galapagos in danger: alarming numbers in one of the most fragile ecosystems on the planet
The IGalapagos Islands are one of the most important natural heritages in the world, but even they are not safe from plastic pollution. Because of its location in an area of multiple ocean currents, poorly managed waste from other regions ends up reaching its shores.
At least 40% of Galapagos plastic pollution is of maritime origin. Of that percentage, 95% of the plastics that reach their shores come from outside their waters.
The report “Galapagos free of plastic pollution: 5 years of science and solutions” (2024), published by Galapagos Conservation Trust, provides figures that allow us to measure the situation:
- 69% of plastics found off the Galapagos coast are for single use only.
- 1 out of 3 is related to drinks.
- 52 species have been found entangled or with plastic inside, 20 of them endemic.
- 52% of invertebrates sampled samples contained microplastics (plastics less than 5 mm in diameter).
- More than 95% of the plastics come from outside the marine reserve.
And there's one key fact: Because of its geographical position, Galapagos receives more UV radiation than most marine ecosystems, which accelerates the degradation of plastics and the formation of secondary microplastics, making them even more difficult to eliminate and, consequently, more harmful to marine life.
Plastic pollution in Galapagos Islands. Image Credits: JP Muñoz ©
This is a clear example of how a protected ecosystem is not invulnerable and that absolutely everything is interrelated. The plastic that we consume today and that does not have an adequate final disposal, is the same plastic that reaches these ecosystems. Pollution does not respect borders, but it can (and must) stop at its source.
Ecuador in Action: Towards a Future Without Plastic Waste
Since 2023, Ecuador has been part of the Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP) and leads, at the national level, the National Platform for Action on Plastics (NPAP), of which ReciveCI is part of it. Thanks to this process, a Action Roadmap for Plastics, which proposes five axes to achieve an Ecuador with less plastic waste:
- Prevention: eliminate unnecessary plastics and promote reuse.
- Innovation: promote sustainable substitutes and alternative materials.
- Coverage: expand collection and improve final disposal sites.
- Inclusive recycling: strengthen systems with justice for grassroots waste pickers.
- Data and Collective Intelligence: align efforts between public, private and social actors.
This Roadmap of Action for Plastics in Ecuador also includes a baseline on the plastic economy in Ecuador, an assessment of social and environmental impacts together with several scenarios towards 2040.
At ReciVeci®, we firmly believe that the transition to a country with fewer plastics goes beyond recycling. It is also about redesigning production systems, policies, consumption models and products, putting people and biodiversity at the center.
Launch event of the Roadmap for action of the GPAP platform in Quito, Ecuador.
June 2024.
A national policy and a specific proposal for marine ecosystems
In 2024, the development of the National Plan for the Reduction of Plastic Waste (PNRRP), an ambitious proposal to guide the implementation of concrete and measurable actions aimed at reducing plastic pollution in the country. This plan is being led by ReciVeci and Mingas by the Sea, in collaboration with WWF Ecuador, the Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition (MAATE) And the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
The PNRRP will be published in 2025 and will include a specific policy for marine ecosystems, seeking to further protect their fragile ecological balance.
Workshop held during the creation of the PNRRP in Quito, Ecuador. 2024.
Towards an inclusive circular economy
In this month in which we celebrate both World Environment Day and Oceans Day, we believe that it is essential to make visible the collective efforts that are taking place on different fronts to create robust and effective legislation for the reduction of plastics in Ecuador. This local drive is aligned with a larger global movement: the development of Global Plastics Treaty, an international initiative that seeks to establish a binding agreement to curb plastic pollution worldwide.
At ReciVeci we are moving in that same direction, promoting an inclusive circular economy that integrates technology, social inclusion of basic waste pickers and obtaining data to be able to make efficient and concrete decisions, leading to a fairer and more sustainable country.
Sources consulted:
- United Nations Foundation. (s.f.). No plastic pollution. World Environment Day. Recovered from https://www.un.org/es/observances/environment-day
- United Nations. (s.f.). World Oceans Day. Recovered from https://www.un.org/es/observances/oceans-day
- WWF Ecuador. (2024). Ecuador leads historic road map to reduce plastic pollution. Recovered from https://www.wwf.org.ec/?389213/Ecuador-lidera-una-historica-hoja-de-ruta-para-reducir-la-contaminacion--por-plasticos
- Galapagos Conservation Trust. (2024). Galapagos free of plastic pollution: 5 years of science and solutions. https://galapagosconservation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PPFG-Report-Spanish-SEPT20-FINAL3.pdf
