We need a global treaty to cut plastic pollution, but that’s just the start

Plastic waste used to be out of sight and out of mind for most consumers. That’s not the case anymore. Public awareness campaigns, scientific evidence and media attention have sparked intense public debate, turning it into a mainstream global issue.

In response to this growing awareness, in March 2022 countries at the UN Environment Assembly adopted a resolution to develop a global treaty — an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution.

The resolution highlighted, in its language, a “serious environmental problem at a global scale, negatively impacting the environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainable development.”

And it stressed there was no single or simple way to tackle the problem, recognizing a “wide range of approaches, sustainable alternatives and technologies available to address the full life cycle of plastics.”

The EU has already shown with the political agreement in March on its Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, which for the first time sets targets for reducing packaging waste and minimum levels for recycled content, that ambitious measures to control plastic pollution can be agreed at a multi-governmental level.

Last month, the fourth round of intergovernmental negotiations on the future UN instrument, also known as INC-4, concluded in Ottawa, Canada. Though there is strong consensus that an ambitious agreement is needed, disagreements remain between countries on the best way forward.

As an accredited business and industry observer to UNEP and UNFCCC, the Alliance to End Plastic Waste was an observer to the Ottawa talks intending to get a head start on how to contribute to the treaty’s implementation. It isn’t our role to advocate for a particular outcome, but we have and will continue to share knowledge on waste management and recycling as well as the on-ground realities of existing solutions to curb plastic pollution. As details of the instrument are being refined, we want to accelerate the future treaty’s impact, fast.

Our members come from across the plastics value chain, from brands and plastic producers to recyclers, packaging converters, and waste management companies. Our mission is to serve as a laboratory for the development of practical solutions to the plastic waste challenge that are environmentally sound, economically viable, and socially inclusive. These are all important components to allow potential impactful solutions to be scaled and replicated. Without these solutions, we won’t make a significant dent in the problem.

We support projects on the ground around the world and help facilitate their wider adoption. We know that the implementation of the treaty will be key, including how solutions are financed, and we are ready to contribute our knowledge and experience.

The plastic waste problem can seem vast and insurmountable, but progress is already happening and often more than many think. The Alliance with the support of our members and other stakeholders are in Ottawa with a Solutions Showcase demonstrating examples of successful approaches that are already up and running, as well as those that continue to be developed. A strong agreement and the right policy mix can help turbo-charge their impact.

If the treaty is to be impactful, those who want to see a world free from plastic waste must quickly turn their attention to what comes next and build on the successful approaches that are already in play. We are not starting from scratch, but there is also no time to lose.