The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens

Shutting Off The Plastic Tap: A Global Treaty To Regulate Petrochemical Pollution? with Jane Muncke

Dec 8, 2024

In this insightful conversation, Jane Muncke, Managing Director of the Food Packaging Forum Foundation and expert in environmental toxicology, discusses the urgent need for a global treaty to combat plastic pollution. She analyzes the recent UN negotiations in Busan, emphasizing the complexities of intergovernmental discussions and the health impacts of plastic chemicals. Muncke raises vital questions about prioritizing public health over economic interests and explores the potential for innovative policies, like polymer taxes, to reduce plastic production at the source.

47:16

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Jane Muncke

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Quick takeaways

Acknowledging society's addiction to plastic is crucial for individuals and policymakers to drive meaningful change against pollution.

The ongoing negotiations highlight a tension between ambitious regulatory proposals and entrenched economic interests from the plastic and chemical industries.

Deep dives

Awareness of Plastic Addiction

Society has developed a significant reliance on plastic, often without recognizing it as an addiction. This lack of awareness hinders progress in addressing plastic pollution effectively. The complexity of the issue extends beyond visible waste, encompassing various health impacts associated with plastic usage. There is a critical need for individuals and policymakers to acknowledge this addiction to initiate meaningful change.

Intro

2min

Navigating Plastic Pollution Treaties

16min

Impact of Polymer Tax on Plastic Usage and Health Externalities

2min

The Hidden Dangers of Plastic Chemicals

2min

Negotiating Petrochemical Regulations

10min

The Art of Manufacturing Confusion in Public Health Discourse

2min

Confronting Plastic Pollution

10min

Hope and Engagement in the Fight Against Plastic Pollution

3min

(Conversation recorded on December 2nd, 2024)

One of the central ecological challenges of our time is addressing the plastic and petrochemical pollution that has exploded over the past several decades. This global issue will require the cooperation of all nations. But based on the disintegration of UN negotiations for a treaty on plastic pollution last Sunday, this is easier said than done.

In this special episode, Nate is joined by toxicologist Jane Muncke, who provides an in-depth analysis following the final day of discussions in Busan, South Korea. Together, they explore the complex intergovernmental negotiations that have defined the treaty process, as well as the environmental and health policies that have shaped these conversations in recent years.

Will we ever be able to place chemical safety and public health above economic motivations at the global level? Could increased public awareness of the way these seemingly convenient products affect our health and well-being finally shut off the plastic tap? Finally, is it possible for the treaty to go beyond waste management and recycling, to instead move towards reducing the production and consumption of plastics at the source?

About Jane Muncke:

Jane Muncke holds a doctorate degree in environmental toxicology and a MSc in environmental science from the ETH Zurich. Since 2012 she has been working as Managing Director and Chief Scientific Officer at the charitable Food Packaging Forum Foundation (FPF) in Zurich, Switzerland. FPF is a research and science communication organization focusing on chemicals in all types of food contact materials.

Jane Muncke is a full scientific member of the Society of Toxicology (SOT), the Society for Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology (SETAC), the American Chemical Society (ACS) and the Endocrine Society. Since 2019, she has been an elected expert member of the Swiss Organic Farming Association Bio Suisse’s committee on trade and processing where she contributes to further developing the standards for processing and packaging of organic food. She is a director of the FAN initiative, a collective of experts warning about resource overshoot, the polycrisis, and related societal collapse.

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