Final plastics treaty negotiations target full lifecycle approach
INC-5.2 session in Geneva aims to finalise legally binding provisions requiring EPR schemes, export restrictions and ESM standards for plastic waste management operators worldwide.
The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2) session aims to finalise legally binding provisions that would reshape how plastic waste is collected, processed and traded internationally.
INC-5.2 is the second segment of the fifth session of negotiations held since 2022 aiming to develop a legally binding global treaty. The previous session, INC 5.1, in South Korea failed to reach agreement, as countries pushing for curbs on plastic production were derailed by oil-producing nations.
The draft treaty text is being reviewed by delegates from 184 countries and 619 observer organisations. It proposes mandatory requirements for environmentally sound management (ESM) of plastic waste and the establishment of national performance targets for collection and recycling rates.
Key provisions would require governments to ensure their waste management sectors operate with safe handling, sorting, collection, transport, storage and recycling systems whilst maintaining disaster-resilient infrastructure.
Under Article 8 of the Chair's text released in December 2024, countries would be obligated to prevent littering and prohibit open dumping, open burning and ocean dumping of plastic waste. The framework explicitly encourages Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes and other economic instruments to ensure ESM throughout the plastic lifecycle.
Luis Vayas Valdivieso, Chair of the INC, told delegates at the opening session: "We are here today to fulfill an international mandate. This is a unique and historic opportunity for the international community to bridge differences and find common ground."
Export restrictions target developed nations
The treaty proposes stringent controls on transboundary plastic waste movements, with developed countries facing potential prohibitions on exports to developing nations. Where obligations apply, shipments must comply with existing protocols, whilst movements outside Basel scope must still meet relevant standards and guidelines.
These restrictions address the injustice of waste trade, revealed through a 271 per cent increase in plastic waste exports from Switzerland to Malaysia between 2022 and 2024, rising from 69,820kg to 258,897kg. According to Mageswari Sangaralingham from Sahabat Alam Malaysia, "a meaningful treaty must close loopholes that disguise waste trade as recycling".
The provisions would establish export controls only allowing shipments for environmentally sound purposes. OECD figures show that 46 per cent of global plastic waste is landfilled, 22 per cent becomes litter through mismanagement, 17 per cent is incinerated and 15 per cent is collected for recycling, with less than 9 per cent actually recycled after processing losses.
Design requirements drive circular transition
Article 5 of the draft framework mandates product design improvements to enhance circularity. The Conference of the Parties (COP) would develop sector-specific guidance for priority plastic products, including format standards, labelling requirements and design-for-recycling specifications.
These provisions would directly impact materials recovery facilities through tighter feedstock specifications and changing polymer compositions entering waste streams. The treaty emphasises recycled-content targets to create market demand signals for particular polymer grades.
Controls on releases and leakages under Article 7 require measures to prevent pellet, flake and powder releases to the environment. Waste management operators would need pellet-loss prevention systems, microplastic control measures including filtration, and improved housekeeping protocols.
Health experts warn of toxic risks
Before negotiations began, medical journal the Lancet published warnings that plastic materials cause extensive disease "at every stage of the plastics life cycle and at every stage of human life".
More than two dozen health experts noted plastic-related economic losses exceed $1.5 trillion annually, with infants and children most vulnerable to exposure.
The treaty proposes banning four specific phthalates in toys, children's products and food contact materials, including DEHP (Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate), already prohibited in many countries as a known endocrine disruptor.
Dr Shanna Swan, representing health scientists at INC-5.2, warned: "Every day that passes, more plastic chemicals enter our bodies through items many consider safe and normal. We need regulatory action if we are to see real change."
Implementation framework requires national planning
Articles 14-17 people the establishment of monitoring, reporting and verification systems. These require countries to submit national plans that describe how they will implement the treaty. Plans must be updated regularly and made public, with the COP adopting standardised formats and guidance. Treaty-wide effectiveness evaluation would occur periodically using national reports and technical information, with a secretariat-run clearinghouse facilitating knowledge exchange.
Civil society organisations gathered before talks commenced to condemn the influence of the fossil fuel industry in negotiation sessions. The Gallifrey Foundation's Laurianne Trimoulla noted that 221 lobbyists from fossil fuel and petrochemical industries attended previous negotiations. "If they had formed a single delegation, it would have been the largest at the talks," she said.
The 10-day session aims to finalise text for consideration at a future Diplomatic Conference of Plenipotentiaries, with global plastic production on track to triple by 2050 without urgent intervention. 
