Global Plastics Treaty: A Comprehensive Framework for Plastic Lifecycle Management

Context

The upcoming Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) session in Busan, South Korea (Nov 25–Dec 1, 2024), focuses on formulating a legally binding treaty to address plastic pollution. The treaty aims for a holistic lifecycle management of plastics, ensuring health, environmental protection, and equity for informal waste workers.

The Plastic Crisis: Scale and Impact

1. Global Plastic Waste Production (OECD, 2022):
   • 2019: 353 million tonnes of plastic waste, more than double the amount in 2000.
   • Projection for 2060: Expected to triple.
2. Recycling and Disposal Gaps:
   • Recycled: Only 9% of waste.
   • Landfilled: 50%.
   • Incinerated: 19%.
   • Uncontrolled Disposal: 22%.
3. Environmental Impacts:
   • Soil Pollution: Reduces fertility, affecting agriculture.
   • Marine Pollution: Disrupts ecosystems and harms aquatic life.
   • Climate Resilience: Compromised by ecosystem degradation.
4. Health Impacts:
   • Microplastics Hazard: Ingestion by humans and animals leads to serious health issues.
   • Chemical Leaching: Release of BPA and phthalates into food and water, causing endocrine disruptions.
   • Community Health Risks: Exposure to toxic emissions in plastic production areas, especially affecting vulnerable populations.
5. Global Inequity:
   • Low-income countries, particularly in South Asia, disproportionately handle imported plastic waste, facing toxic exposure and environmental degradation.

Need for a Global Plastics Treaty

1. Lifecycle Impact of Plastics:
   • Plastics release hazardous endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) like PFAS throughout their lifecycle, affecting ecosystems and human health.
2. Disproportionate Burden:
   • Low-income nations bear the brunt of managing excessive plastic waste imports without adequate resources.
3. Inclusion of Informal Workers:
   • Organizations like the International Alliance of Waste Pickers (IAWP) advocate for integrating informal waste collectors into policy discussions.
4. Polluter Responsibility:
   • Enforcing the “polluter pays” principle to ensure accountability for environmental and health impacts.

Advantages of a Holistic Global Approach

1. Health and Environmental Protection:
   • Mitigates harm from plastic production, disposal, and chemical exposure.
2. Global Accountability:
   • Encourages responsible manufacturing and sustainable waste management practices.
3. Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration:
   • Promotes partnerships between governments, industries, civil society, and affected communities.

Challenges to Implementation

1. Enforcement Issues:
   • Regulating multinational corporations and ensuring compliance across nations.
2. Economic Resistance:
   • Industries reliant on plastics may oppose stringent regulations, citing economic and employment concerns.
3. Support for Vulnerable Regions:
   • Low-income regions may lack financial and technological resources for effective plastic waste management.

Way Forward

1. Global Legal Framework:
   • Develop a binding framework to regulate hazardous chemicals in plastics and ensure protections for vulnerable populations, particularly women and children.
2. Reduce Single-Use Plastics:
   • Governments should commit to phasing out single-use plastics and invest in eco-friendly alternatives.
3. Inclusive Policy-Making:
   • Incorporate diverse stakeholders, including informal workers, non-profits, industry leaders, and environmental experts.
4. Support for Vulnerable Regions:
   • Provide financial aid and pollution control technologies to regions disproportionately affected by plastic waste imports.
5. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR):
   • Rethink EPR norms to integrate informal waste collectors into the waste management system, ensuring fair compensation and job security.