Building circularity into entire life cycle of plastics and waste management key to successful agreement
[Dubai, UAE, 26 November 2024] Following the final round of negotiations on an international treaty to end plastics pollution, the World Plastics Council (WPC) and members of the Global Plastics Alliance (GPA) are calling on national governments to agree on an ambitious and implementable agreement that dramatically scales up waste management and recycling.
During the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC5), which began in Busan, South Korea, on Monday 25 November, negotiators from national governments are expected to reach an agreement on a number of important issues, including the model by which the internationally legally binding instrument (ILBI) will enable countries to tackle plastics waste. In this context, the WPC and GPA members are calling for negotiators to reach an agreement that respects the needs of different countries, while establishing a common framework to end plastic pollution by 2040.
Benny Mermans, Chair of the WPC, said: “Every country faces a unique set of challenges and it therefore requires different solutions to address them. A one-size-fits-all global approach to policy and regulation cannot work. The treaty should therefore provide each country and region with the flexibility to meet the objectives of the agreement in ways, which make most sense for them.”
The final agreement should strike the right balance between global obligations and national measures. It should require countries to develop national action plans so that they can deploy tailored solutions most effective for their circumstances. Mandatory recycled content targets for sectors that use plastics at the national level, for example, will increase the value of plastic waste as a circular feedstock by increasing demand for circular plastic raw materials. Those plans should have common elements and reporting requirements that hold countries accountable for tracking progress and creating the demand signals to spur investment in collection, sorting and recycling.
Dr. Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, Secretary General, GPCA, commented: “INC5 in Busan is a pivotal moment for global plastic regulation. Governments should seize the opportunity to shape a treaty that enables a transition to a circular plastics system, in which all plastics materials are reused, recycled, and responsibly managed. GPCA has been leading extensive efforts to advance the plastic circularity agenda as part of its work with the WPC and GPA. The benefits of the circular economy are numerous, from reducing GHG emissions, to increasing resource efficiency, to enhancing economic development, and creating more jobs, especially in countries with less developed waste management and recycling infrastructure.”
He added: “What we need is an agreement, at the core of which is building circularity into the entire life cycle of plastics – from design to recycling to responsible end-of-life – and developing a fit-for-purpose waste management system. The most effective way to achieve the objectives of the agreement, while maintaining the utility that plastics offer society, is to make plastic waste a commodity with real value.”
Plastics enable wind and solar power, improve the efficiency of buildings and transportation, preserve food, improve infrastructure, and make modern healthcare possible. The treaty must therefore recognize that we need plastics to achieve our sustainable development and climate change goals. It should also recognize that unmanaged waste is the primary driver of pollution and prioritize providing proper waste management to the approximately 2.7 billion people who lack it.
Benny Mermans added:“At the World Plastics Council we have spent the last 18 months bringing different stakeholders together to discuss how best to address one of the defining challenges of our time – ending plastics pollution. These discussions were focused on identifying common ground and solutions that are ambitious, can be implemented in practice, and enable societies in all countries around the world to continue to benefit from plastics for their development and economic growth. They also confirmed that with focus, and a sense of urgency and compromise a successful outcome to the negotiations can be achieved.”
Additional recommendations
- Sustainable finance mechanisms: mobilizing and facilitating access to the necessary finance is crucial, particularly for emerging economies, and this is why we support the establishment of sustainable financing mechanisms to unlock the massive investments – both public and private – required for this transition. Well-designed extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes can, for example, be used to finance the collection, sorting and recycling of materials.
- Application based approach: we support the global adoption of a decision tree assessment framework that is applied locally to identify and prevent high-leakage plastic products from becoming pollution. Unlike caps and bans, which are blunt and counterproductive measures, such an approach takes into account the societal value a plastic product has in a country and enables tailored solutions to prevent it from becoming pollution.
- Trade: the treaty must also ensure the ability to move plastic waste freely from countries – would likely be from developing to developed – that don’t have recycling and waste management infrastructure to those that do. This will drive plastics circularity and prevent pollution and help support a resilient supply chain.
- Product design: if we want plastics that are more easily reused, recycled, repaired and durable, then we need to start by designing them that way. The agreement should therefore provide guidance on product design that draws on existing and emerging international design principles and standards. This means setting standards for durability, pushing for national recycling targets, and empowering communities to turn waste into a resource.
- Informal sector: we must also recognize the crucial importance of the informal plastics sector which is currently responsible for managing 60% of global plastic waste collection; the agreement must recognize the significant contributions of this sector. Building partnerships between the informal sector, industry, governments, and academia is key to developing sustainable, economically viable solutions that uplift all stakeholders and foster mutual respect.
About World Plastics Council
As the voice of the global industry, the World Plastics Council promotes increased collaboration and dialogue with a wide range of stakeholders, including the plastics value chain, governments, the UN, NGOs and researchers. It advocates for policies that reduce plastics waste and drive advances in circularity across the plastics system and globally.
About Global Plastics Alliance
Established in 2011 at the 5th International Marine Debris Conference, the Global Plastics Alliance (GPA) has grown to 75 plastics organizations and allied industry association in 40 countries worldwide. As voluntary signatories of The Declaration of the Global Plastics Associations for Solutions on Marine Litter, these organizations operate as GPA and execute projects locally and regionally to address the issue of marine debris. The six work areas for initiatives aimed at contributing to sustainable solutions in the Declaration are education, research, public policy, sharing best practices, plastics recycling/recovery, and plastic pellet containment.
About GPCA
The Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) was established in 2006 to represent the downstream hydrocarbon industry in the Arabian Gulf. Today, the association voices the common interests of more than 250 member companies from the chemical and allied industries, accounting for over 95 percent of chemical output in the GCC. GPCA supports the petrochemical and chemical industry in the Arabian Gulf through advocacy, networking and thought leadership initiatives aimed at helping member companies to connect, share and advance knowledge, contribute to international dialogue, and become prime influencers in shaping the future of the global petrochemicals industry.