UK Government, businesses and NGOs call for international Plastics Pollution Treaty to phase out ‘problematic’ plastics

A coalition of leading UK stakeholders has called on those preparing for the upcoming fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) to set stringent rules to tackle the growing crisis of plastic pollution.

At an event co-chaired by Secretary of State Steve Reed and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation at Buckingham Palace yesterday (6 November), businesses from across the plastic value chain, as well as government officials, including Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband, and environmental organisations, convened to discuss measures in advance of the UN event taking place in Korea later this month.

The discussions focused on key concerns that must be addressed in the global plastics treaty, emphasising the importance of global standards and funding needed to tackle plastic pollution effectively.

Businesses involved, including Circulate Capital, Danone, Fidelity International, ING, Legal and General Investment Management, Mars, Nestle, SC Johnson, Tecso, Unilever, Waitrose and WRAP, signed a statement urging the treaty to address the ‘full lifecycle of plastics’ including primary plastic polymers, products made of or containing plastics and associated chemicals, and all forms of plastic pollution.

Writing about the Plastic Pollution Treaty, WRAP CEO Harriet Lamb stressed the urgent need to take action: “We are addicted to plastics. Our passion for plastics exploded with its invention and has been fuelled for decades - without control - by the unique qualities and endless possibilities of this remarkable material. Nowhere more so than in packaging.

“The Treaty must agree high ambition and actionable strategies that businesses and governments will follow – and which can be monitored.”

The statement issued yesterday calls for global criteria to guide product and design standards for plastic products, setting out sector-specific guidelines and science-based regulations to phase out or limit ‘problematic’ and ‘avoidable’ plastics.

It advocates for developing national regulatory frameworks to fund the collection, reuse, and recycling of plastic products, such as through the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system.

Transparency, sustainability, and private-sector support are also highlighted as essential elements of the treaty.

Lamb added: “The time for legislation to take over is now. Controlling plastics pollution, banning some items and ensuring a circular economy in plastics needs global regulation.

“Along with Governments and NGOs, increasing numbers of businesses, large and small – local and international - are calling on governments to deliver a high ambition treaty with global binding rules.”

Calls for ambitious plastic regulations have also come from plastics researchers and non-profits following the release of new research that reveals the severe health impacts of plastic pollution.