Washington, DC – (20 November 2024) As negotiators will soon convene in Busan, Korea, for the fifth and final round of negotiations on the UN Global Plastics Agreement, the Global Partners for Plastics Circularity (GPPC) reaffirms its strong commitment to securing an effective agreement that helps end plastic pollution by the close of INC-5.
We call on governments to stay the course and finalize an ambitious, implementable, and inclusive agreement that prevents plastic pollution and accelerates a circular economy for plastics, where plastics are designed for reuse and recycling, and remade into new products at the end of life.
“We have the power to shape a future where society continues to reap the immense benefits of plastics without them becoming pollution,” said Benny Mermans, chair of the World Plastics Council. “The best path forward—one that minimizes unintended consequences—is a global agreement anchored in circularity, treating used plastics as valuable resources rather than waste.”
Industry stands ready to contribute its expertise and support the process through a range of resources to help inform government negotiators in making science-based decisions:
- Decision Tree to Prevent Plastic Pollution: This decision-making tool is designed to assist national governments to identify and prevent plastic products that are most prone to leak into the environment from becoming pollution. The tool provides a common assessment framework and promotes a circular approach for plastics management, while allowing flexibility to account for each country’s unique capacities, circumstances, and needs.
- International Council of Chemical Associations’ (ICCA) Plastic Additives Database: Building on the UN Environment Programme’s Chemicals in Plastics Technical Report coupled with verified data from industry, the Plastic Additives Database provides greater transparency and promotes the sound management of additives in commerce used in plastics.
- Topic-Specific Resources: The resources page of GPPC’s website contains factsheets, webinar recordings and videos that can help inform the negotiations. Resources have been created on a variety of topics, including additives in plastics, designing for circularity, funding waste management infrastructure, and many more.
- Policy Positions: The global plastics and chemicals industries have put forth policy positions containing the key elements of an enabling global agreement to end plastic pollution.
- Oxford Economics Study: Commissioned by ICCA, this study assesses the socio-economic and environmental impacts of restricting plastics production. The findings highlight potential unintended consequences across various industries and global economies that could be expected in response to a cap on plastics production, particularly for communities least equipped to bear additional economic burdens.
“The progress already achieved on many aspects of the agreement highlights our collective resolve to end plastic pollution,” said Chris Jahn, council secretary of ICCA. “However, we must not let areas of uncertainty or disagreement stall the progress we’ve made. We stand ready to offer industry’s knowledge and support to advance a transformative global treaty that propels circularity, ensuring plastics remain in the economy and out of the environment.”
We encourage negotiators to engage with these resources that can help inform governments on science-based topics and impactful policies to create an effective global plastics agreement that all countries can implement.
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Global Partners for Plastics Circularity
The Global Partners for Plastics Circularity (GPPC) is a multinational collaboration of associations and companies that make, use and recycle plastics. GPPC is supported by the World Plastics Council, the International Council of Chemical Associations and many other country and regional plastic associations around the globe. We are advocating a global agreement to help accelerate a sustainable, circular economy for plastics. These modern plastic materials are used around the world to create essential and often life-saving products, many of which are critical to a lower carbon, more sustainable future.
Contact: Matthew Kastner
Phone: +1 202-961-0634
Email: matthew_kastner@americanchemistry.com