This week, plastic pollution was at the heart of the debates. In Lisbon, world leaders and experts gathered at a summit on the protection of the oceans, placed in a state of "emergency" by the United Nations. Among the themes addressed, the 11 million tonnes of plastic dumped into the oceans each year. A catastrophic environmental situation, far from improving since a UN report estimates that by 2040, this amount of plastic waste will have almost tripled. Is this forecast still avoidable?

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The experts have consulted and for them it is a certainty, solutions exist. "Provided you demonstrate collective intelligence," says Henri Bourgeois Costa, expert in the field of the circular economy and plastic pollution, at the Tara Ocean Foundation. Researchers have been working on this question for several years. A research group of nearly 250 scientists, made up of 56 teams and five CNRS institutes, “Polymers and Oceans”, has even been created to focus on the subject

Regulation of production by laws

According to Henri Bourgeois Costa, it is important to focus on reducing plastic production, and to do this, the government is a key player. Legislating to pollute less is, in a way, the key word. Scientists demand in particular the cessation of waste exports outside France, the drafting of a list of the “most problematic” plastics to be banned, or the revision of “poorly thought out” standards or labels, to name a few. than them.

To some extent, the executive has already taken ownership of the subject in recent years. Single-use plastic, for example, will be excluded from production from 2040. During the Lisbon summit, Emmanuel Macron recalled his commitment, declaring that without delay, France will "continue to move forward with all those who have projects to eliminate single-use plastics, invest in recycling, clean our beaches, eliminate landfills”. Moreover, he adds that since the summit in Brest, held in February, 500 actors have joined the global commitment to fight against plastic pollution.

Dialogue with companies

In a second step, the solutions are found alongside the economic players. Several environmental organizations and associations offer themselves as advisers to guide companies or industries towards a reduction in plastic production. Jean-François Ghiglione, CNRS research director at the Banyuls-sur-Mer ocean observatory, notably takes part in business meetings with major companies, such as L'Oréal or Chanel, to help them modify their production mode.