Contents
- LC Net Focus
- Announcements
- Project & Activity Updates
- Life Cycle Calendar
- Job Announcements
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UNEA5.2 brings the application of life cycle approaches to a whole new level
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The Giant Plastic Tap, co-created by Artist Benjamin Von Wong, the Human Needs Project and the residents of Kibera, welcomed participants to UNEA5.2, reminding them of 1) the urgent need to #TurnOffThePlasticTap, and 2) that their discussions at the conference impact all of our lives.
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“It is so decided!” The usual words, expressed by H.E. Mr. Espen Barth Eide President of UNEA and Minister of Climate and Environment of Norway, took on a huge meaning at the closing of UNEA5.2 when applied to draft resolution UNEP/EA.5/L23 (titled End Plastic Pollution: Towards and international legally binding instrument), which saw the biggest conference room in the UN compound in Nairobi explode into a loud standing ovation. Seasoned negotiators hugging each other; contained emotions of long hours of discussions that went into the early hours of the morning for the past few days, running free. Where were you when “the plastics resolution” was gavelled? The Life Cycle Initiative was in that room (and in the negotiating rooms during the weeks ahead of the closing plenary), represented by members of the UNEP Secretariat as well as several of our funding partners and Steering Committee representatives.
What exactly was “so decided”?
The resolution requests that an intergovernmental negotiating committee be convened to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic. And to do so with the ambition of completing this work by the end of 2024. This shows once more that when Member States come to the UNEA, they talk about what unites them, and put aside their differences to improve the future of our planet. Multilateralism worked at its best in this particular resolution, which most see as a stronger resolution than any of the drafts presented initially, even if those were initially very comprehensive! The resolution covers all types of plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, including microplastics, and crucially it covers the full life cycle, promoting sustainable consumption and production. The timeline to come to this new instrument is ambitious, because as stated by UNEP’s Executive Director Inger Andersen “every year of delay means another 11 million tonnes of plastic waste tumbling and sliding into our oceans”. And for this reason the resolution also calls upon all Member States to continue and step up activities to combat plastic pollution, including through circular economy approaches.
And while the “End plastic pollution” resolution has already been declared “the most significant environmental deal since the Paris accord”, other important resolutions were agreed in UNEA 5.2. We highlight the ones on “Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste”; the resolution on “Enhancing Circular Economy”, and “Environmental aspects of minerals and metals management”. Why? Because all of these also highlight the importance of considering a full life cycle approach. If UNEA4 was the “coming of age” of life cycle approaches in global environmental policy-making, the resolutions in UNEA5 bring the application of life cycle approaches to a whole new level.
The world was watching, and UNEA delivered. The Life Cycle Initiative stands ready to continue delivering the necessary support and knowledge to tackle plastic pollution and its impacts through a full life cycle approach, and to support all other sectors requiring a life cycle approach, while the instrument is negotiated.
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Our 2021 Progress Report is now available
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 In 2021, the global pandemic continued to affect our lives and our work. Thankfully, we have a fiercely passionate network and community and thus our activities continued as planned. Much of our work continued virtually, allowing greater engagement around the world, but we also got the opportunity to connect in person sometimes. The Life Cycle Initiative Progress Report 2021 highlights the major milestones and successes of 2021- there were many! We are extremely proud of the work the Life Cycle Initiative has managed to do and thankful to our members and funding partners, without whom this would not be possible. Thank you.
Check out the report.
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New Eco-innovation Textiles Supplement published
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 UNEP's new Eco-innovation Textiles Supplement was created to respond to the textile sector's need for more guidance in building resilient, competitive, and green business models for SMEs. Designed together with the Sustainable Fashion Academy to be read alongside UNEP's Eco-innovation Manual, the supplement provides textiles-specific examples, learning case studies, and advice on applying the eco-innovation methodology. This supplement is designed to help SMEs in the textiles sector to implement eco-innovation - UNEP has already begun applying this supplement to their InTex project work in the textiles sector in Africa, and it will inform UNEP's wider work in textiles.
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Side Event UNEA 5.2: ‘Reuse Solutions to Beat Plastic Pollution’
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Over 800 innovators, activists, business leaders, policymakers and heads of international organisations from all over the world came together on February 28th in this virtual session to discuss the importance of reuse and the urgency to take action to beat plastic pollution.
WWF, the UN Environment Programme and the World Economic Forum also announced the joint launch in 2022 of a one-stop-shop Reuse Portal. A global collaboration platform designed to engage all stakeholders to build the tools and networks for shifting from single-use to reuse.
An estimated 11 million metric tons of plastic waste enters the ocean every year. If we continue, we will double the production and consumption by 2040, and triple the plastic leakage into nature. Only 9% of plastics produced is recycled. In order to fight the triple planetary crisis this needs to change.
To face the plastic crisis we need regulations, the right incentives, and sustainable models. Reuse is one of the upstream measures of the global plan to end plastic pollution. It is a cultural shift away from today’s disposable approach. It requires consumers’ behavioral change, reducing production and extraction of new materials and adding the right value to the planet’s resources. For reuse systems to compete with convenience and affordability of single use, they must be durable, have a good price, and be easy to use and deliver the same benefits in terms of health and safety. Enabling a systemic shift towards a reuse system requires collective efforts. But the cost of inaction far exceeds the cost of action.
The event made clear that the work is complex but also shows a sense of alignment across sectors. Reuse is a significant part of the holistic solution. We need to be mindful of unintended consequences and ensure systems are inclusive. Let’s keep the discussion alive to amplify the importance of reuse for building a circular economy and ending plastic pollution.
Consult the recording of the event.
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New Interns at the Life Cycle Initiative
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 The Life Cycle Unit have regularly engaged interns in being able to provide crucial support in the works of the Unit. Two new interns are joining the Unit from March to September 2022.
Callum Sweeney, an Irish National, is a graduate from the University of Copenhagen with a Master's in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics and has recently been working with impact assessments. He is an avid sports fan and lover of food and can be found either reading or listening to podcasts on music history. He is very excited to focus on bringing  greater awareness and understanding of the impact of value chains.
Marine Hautsch is a French national who graduated from King’s College London with a Master’s in Environment and Development. She has been working as a research assistant on renewable energy projects in eastern Africa and is particularly interested in low-carbon development and its challenges. She is looking forward to contributing to the mainstreaming of life-cycle approaches!
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Project & Activity Updates
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Looking at face masks from a Life Cycle perspective
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 The COVID-19 pandemic created a surge on the demands for face masks as a way to prevent the spread and contracting of the virus. Before reusable face masks became available, single-use face masks were widely used at the start of the pandemic. The single-use nature of these face masks means that they are disposed of often, further adding to the existing plastic pollution problem. To understand the environmental impacts of face masks, not only at the end of life but throughout their life cycle, UNEP, through the Life Cycle Initiative, is pleased to announce the release of the meta-study entitled “Single-use face masks and their alternatives: Recommendations from Life Cycle Assessments”.
When reused a sufficient number of times, reusable face masks generally have lower environmental impacts as compared to single-use face masks. However, several considerations should be taken into account before deciding on the best option, such as washing methods, material type of the face masks, guidelines set by the governments, and manufacturing and selling locations. The study focuses on the environmental impact of the face masks and not on their effectiveness in preventing the spread of the disease. Specifically, the study is only applied to face masks used in the general public and not in the health care setting. We invite you to read through the blog post overviewing the key messages and download the full report here.
This study on face masks is part of the series of meta-studies on single-use plastic products and their alternatives that UNEP has been publishing since 2020.
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News from the Life Cycle Community
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Life Cycle Thinking Mentoring with Design Entrepreneurs
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 The fashion industry is one of the sectors posing some of the most pressing sustainability challenges. Throughout its value chain, apparel and textile products have considerable impacts on the environment and communities. These impacts can be improved by enhancing the design of products throughout their life cycle and shifting to circularity. During the 4th Edition of the Circular Design Challenge, the 6 finalists - 6 fashion start-ups from India – were mentored to learn more about life cycle thinking and how they can integrate this approach in their design processes. Claudia Giacovelli, UNEP Programme Officer of the Life Cycle Unit, served as one of the LCA mentors for the finalists, providing an overview of the different stages of the circular value chain of textiles and giving advice on improvements on the design of fashion and apparel that would limit environmental impacts.
The Circular Design Challenge is the largest platform and award for design entrepreneurs working in circular fashion in India. It is organized by the R|ElanTM Fashion for Earth in partnership with FDCI x Lakmé Fashion Week, the UN in India & UNEP.
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Life Cycle Community Calendar
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SETAC Europe 32nd Annual Meeting
15-19 May 2022
The meeting will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark and Online. The abstract submission deadline has been extended to 25th March!
More information and registration.
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SETAC 8th World Congress
4-8 September 2022
The SETAC 8th World Congress will now be held from 4-8 September 2022 in Singapore at the Marina Bay Sands. Please save the date, and stay tuned for updates as we get closer to the meeting.
More information.
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7th International Marine Debris Conference (7IMDC)
18-23 September 2022
For more information on the 7IMDC, please visit its website and subscribe to the mailing list at www.7imdc.org/signUp/mailing.
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LCA Foods 2022 Conference in Lima, Peru
12-14 October 2022
Find more information on the event website.
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EcoBalance 2022
30 October - 2 November 2022
The EcoBalance conference has one of the longest histories among international conferences related to life cycle thinking. EcoBalance serves as a platform to discuss the findings and thoughts from science, practice and policy and build up the international network.
EcoBalance 2022 will be held from 30 October to 2 November 2022 in Fukuoka, Japan. Please save these dates!
We anticipate a face-to-face conference if the pandemic abates. We will announce updates on our website and look forward to your participation in EcoBalance 2022.
More information.
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Life Cycle Job Announcements
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Join the UNEP Life Cycle Initiative team!
 We are delighted to announce we have a P2 level open position on our team at the Life Cycle Initiative! Are you or someone you know experienced in Sustainable Consumption and Production and passionate about the promotion of Life Cycle Thinking? Would you like to work at the United Nations Environment Programme office in Paris progressing forward the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development? Check out the position and apply by April 12th!
More information and to apply.
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The work of the Life Cycle Initiative would not be possible without the support of its sponsors. By contributing to the Initiative, businesses and governments not only gain access to unparalleled expertise in how to align their activities with their United Nations Environmental and Social Development commitments, but they also play a role in transforming their activities, as models of Life Cycle Thinking. If you are interested in becoming a funding partner, please contact the Initiative.
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Ongoing call for LC Net contributions
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Members of the Life Cycle Initiative, please feel free to submit your event, job vacancy, news, capacity development opportunities, topics and stories related to life cycle thinking and LCA, to be shared with the global life cycle community. We are always looking for featured coverage on the experience how life cycle thinking contributes to different policy agendas, sustainable business and decision making, in various countries and regions.
Note that we cannot accept contributions of a commercial nature. LCNet is released bimonthly in the beginning of January, March, May, July, September and November; please send us your piece approximately two weeks before the release date. We look forward to your contributions in disseminating life cycle knowledge from global policy and business agendas!
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THANK YOU TO OUR FUNDING PARTNERS!
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