Youth engage in the INC-5 process to develop an international legally binding instrument call for reduction in plastic pollution

By Josua Prentice

I’m Joshua Prentice, a 25-year-old environmental scientist from the dual-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago.

Now that the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) process is underway, one of my primary concerns regarding plastic pollution is its impacts on human health and child development from microplastics. 

Current research has shown that microplastics have invaded human bodies, and are a vessel for the leaching of potentially toxic chemical compounds into the human body. Science has yet to study all of these compounds, however, some have been found to cause defects in genetic information.

From a biodiversity standpoint, plastic pollution is also one of the major causes of biodiversity loss and ecosystem damage. 

It especially threatens Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like mine, that have many sensitive reef, mangrove and other coastal habitats, the health of which our communities depend on for their livelihoods. 

Research that I have led into plastic debris’ effects on mangroves has revealed that there is a correlation of greater plastic pollution density with reduced mangrove density. Whether this is caused by mechanical blocking of mangrove seedlings or chemicals leaching into the environment has yet to be determined, but I intend to answer that mystery.

Over the past two years, I have been engaged in the INC process.

The main outcomes that I would like to see are:

1. Use of primary plastic polymer reduction targets,
2. An inclusive stakeholder engagement modality framework being approved for the treaty
3. A full life cycle approach to plastic pollution management,
4. And finally a plastic production reduction target.

The goal should always be “reduction” of plastics being created due to its linkage to the triple planetary crisis.