The Pacific Ocean Litter Project (POLP), an initiative under the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), is fighting the threat of single-use plastics to the Pacific coastal environment.
With the primary goal of reducing, refusing, and replacing single-use plastics, the project aims to mitigate the devastating impact of plastic pollution on marine ecosystems and Pacific communities’ livelihoods.
“The Pacific Ocean and our islands are being suffocated by plastic,” said POLP Project Manager, Andrea Volentras.
“We find plastic waste on every island, whether inhabited or not, and even in the stomachs of our fish,” said Volentras.
“Recent studies in Suva revealed that about 70% of coastal fish contain microplastics. This is not just an environmental issue; it’s a health crisis affecting our people.”
POLP’s strategy encompasses several key components: legislative support, policy development, behavioural change initiatives, public awareness campaigns, and the promotion of alternatives to single use plastics.
The project also collaborates closely with Pacific Island nations to tailor solutions to their specific needs and contexts.
For instance, the Solomon Islands have enacted a law banning unnecessary and avoidable single-use plastics.
Volentras explained: “We’ve seen positive steps with the introduction of substitutes for plastic forks, knives, and straws. There are alternatives for plastic plates and bags.
“These measures directly impact the 832,000 residents of the Solomon Islands.”
One of the project’s significant benchmarks is the visible reduction of single-use plastics in the environment.
“We conduct regular monitoring and clean-up campaigns to measure progress,” Volentras said.
“When we return to previously monitored sites, a decrease in plastic waste is a clear indicator of success,” Volentras noted.
“These efforts are crucial in protecting hotspots where communities rely on mangroves and coastal areas for their livelihoods.”
The global plastic treaty, a topic of intense negotiation, has significant implications for the Pacific.
Volentras expressed concern about the slow progress and divergent views among negotiating countries.
“The negotiations are protracted and challenging, with critical issues still unresolved. The Pacific Island countries advocate for addressing plastic pollution from production to disposal, but there is strong opposition to this comprehensive approach,” he remarked.
The involvement of petroleum states, with their vested interests in the fossil fuel-derived plastic industry, further complicates negotiations.
“These states profit from petrochemicals used in plastics. Reducing production means financial losses and job cuts for them, which is why they push for national rather than global regulations,” Volentras explained.
This stance places a disproportionate burden on Pacific nations, which contribute a mere 1.3% to the ocean’s plastic waste yet suffer immensely from its consequences.
According to Volentras, an ideal global plastics treaty for the Pacific would include measures to curtail plastic production, especially of unnecessary and toxic plastics. It would also mandate robust design standards to prevent plastics from breaking down into harmful microplastics.
“We need a treaty that holds polluting countries accountable and provides financial mechanisms for remediation and clean-up,” Volentras emphasised.
“The treaty should also address the issue of extended producer responsibility, ensuring that companies manufacturing plastic products take accountability for their waste.”
The broader goal of POLP and SPREP is to foster a regional shift towards sustainability, protecting the Pacific’s unique ecosystems and the health of its people.
“Our environment, our culture, and our health are at stake. This is not just an environmental crisis; it’s a threat to our identity as Pacific islanders,” Volentras said.
