Policy and Global Treaty on Plastic Pollution

1. Introduction 2. The challenge 3. The business case 4. The solution 5. News & Insights 6. Related Resources 7. Our members

Reading time: 2 min

Introduction

There has been a surge in laws and policies globally related to plastics and packaging driven by concerns about the environmental and social impact of plastic waste leakage into the environment and the need to accelerate the transition to a circular economy.

The future global treaty on plastic pollution will align countries and businesses under a common goal to end plastic pollution through binding and voluntary approaches based on a comprehensive view of the full life cycle of plastics.

The challenge

Plastic pollution is a complex issue that requires intervention and collaboration at multiple levels – across the plastic value chain and the whole life cycle of plastics.

This is why the business voice needs to be heard in the negotiations on the UN Treaty on plastic pollution (2022 – 2024) to ensure an enabling policy environment with policies that make sense across the plastic value chain.

The business case

Companies across the plastic value chain will be impacted by the upcoming UN treaty on plastic pollution through measures that will be developed at the international and country level to meet the defined global goal.

The negotiations on the UN treaty, planned to be concluded by the end of 2024, provide a great opportunity for collaboration between businesses and policymakers.

The solution

In the context of the UN treaty on plastic pollution, WBCSD has proposed a platform for discussions between member states and the business community to road-test solutions, analyze data gaps and help rapidly shape a global agreement on plastic pollution.