NUTEC Plastics
Plastic pollution is one of today’s most pressing global environmental challenges and a direct threat to sustainable development. According to global projections, by 2025 the ocean will contain 1 tonne of plastic for every 3 tonnes of fish and by 2050, there may be more plastic in the ocean than fish.
The NUclear TEChnology for Controlling Plastic Pollution (NUTEC Plastics) upstream component aims to reduce plastic pollution by using ionizing radiation to promote sustainable biobased plastics and improve recyclability. In 2023, national stakeholder meetings were held in the Philippines and Thailand to evaluate technology readiness levels and plan for future collaboration with industry partners. Progress has been made;in numerous pilot countries, with Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines aiming to build technical-scale prototypes in early 2024. NUTEC upstream activities also included the initiation of a coordinated research project (CRP) aimed at bolstering Member State capabilities in applying radiation technologies to modify natural and biodegradable polymers, in order to reduce reliance on fossil fuel-based single use plastics and increase biomass availability for energy purposes.
NUTEC’s downstream component aims to advance the assessment and monitoring of marine plastics using isotopic tracing techniques. Continuous efforts to harmonize marine microplastics monitoring protocols and build capacity have facilitated the development of the global NUTEC Plastics network of marine monitoring laboratories. In 2023, a CRP was launched to develop and improve techniques for assessing concentrations and polymer composition of marine microplastics — an essential element of comparing variations in polymer samples. In addition, work was completed on the construction of a dedicated plastics laboratory at the IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories in Monaco, which has significantly increased the Agency’s capacity to conduct analyses and provide training to Member States.
Highlights in 2023
- The number of Member States participating in the upstream and downstream components increased to 38 and 77, respectively.
- The Agency developed a portal to capture and curate information and achievements.
- Awareness was raised about the Agency’s role in addressing plastic pollution through side events at the 67th regular session of the Agency’s General Conference, the first session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2026 NPT Review Conference, Monaco Ocean Week and meetings of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution.