Laurianne Trimoulla, a consultant and activist with the Geneva-based Gallifrey Foundation, is busy passing around bars of organic soap. She’s doing this to attract negotiators’ attention at the ongoing international talks aimed at drafting the world’s first treaty to end plastic pollution. Trimoulla’s work has won the hearts and minds of support and delegates from the countries such as France, Panama and the United States. Today, just 10 bars are left from an initial allocation of almost 400 bars.
This announcement moves a bigger effort — Building Back Together’s national campaign — a step further. Its mission is to lobby for an international treaty that addresses the global crisis of plastic pollution. The cardboard packaging of the soap features a clear message: “No dirty tricks, vote for a clean plastics treaty.” Together this slogan captures the foundation’s mission to promote transparency and accountability in the negotiations.
One of the recipients of the custom soap was Jutha Saovabha, a Thai diplomat. Saovabha thanked the company for the very considerate gesture, saying it was impressed with the plastic-free packaging. “The soap was such a thoughtful gift,” she said, emphasizing the role of handwashing and self-care in sustainable habits to save waterways from plastic pollution.
These closed door negotiations, which include delegates from nearly every country in the world, are scheduled to wrap on Thursday. As negotiations continue, the United States is being very supportive of stronger provisions to ensure better treatment of waste. They further encourage reuse strategies as a way to fight plastic pollution. Advocates like Trimoulla are urging for more comprehensive measures that focus on reducing plastic production altogether.
Canadian artist and activist Benjamin Von Wong is currently causing a stir with his impressive sculpture in front of the United Nations office. This incredibly poignant film is designed to educate and provoke discussion. Her piece, “Mother Earth,” depicts an Indigenous figure seated on the back of Mother Earth, holding a newborn in one hand and plastic bottles in another. This immersive and emotional visual experience is Von Wong’s statement of the urgent need for action on the crisis of the plastic waste environment. On Wednesday, he dramatized that urgency by adding plastic debris to the empty whale sculpture.
Von Wong’s creation draws inspiration from Auguste Rodin’s iconic sculpture “The Thinker,” reimagining it in the context of contemporary environmental challenges. Through this artwork, the artist hopes to encourage reflection and dialogue about the ever-present and worsening plastic disaster, and inspire action now.
As negotiations continue in Geneva, international trade experts such as Chris Jahn highlight the critical need for informal, behind-the-scenes interactions among delegates. “It’s shoe leather lobbying and informal personal engagements, where they need an answer to a question quickly and we provide it to them,” Jahn explained. Beyond that, he sounded a positive note about the foundation’s role in encouraging nationwide dialogue on the issue. “We’re happy to provide information when it’s useful and we’ll be here as long as we need to, to hopefully get a deal.”
The urgency of these negotiations comes from increasing awareness of the health harms caused by chemicals linked to the production and use of plastics. Camila Zepeda is an environmental studies researcher. Along the way, she discovered just how broadly harmful chemicals commonly found in plastics are used, and how widely we’re all exposed. What I was shocked about is that all around the world, we are all being inundated with those additional chemicals in plastics. That is very alarming,” Zepeda said, underscoring the urgent, worldwide nature of the issue.
