Published October 1, 2023 | Version v1
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Zero Draft Text of the International Legally Binding Instrument on Plastic Pollution, Including in the Marine Environment

  • 1. ROR icon Institute For European Environmental Policy
  • 2. ISOTECH
  • 3. AKTI

Description

Summary
• The United Nations Environment Programme published a zero draft of a future UN Plastics Treaty on 4 September 2023. This briefing analyses this text and makes recommendations for improvement.
• The text is comprehensive in approach – aiming to set out clear objectives and addressing plastic pollution and its impacts through measures to limit production and reduce harm across the life cycle of products.
• The Treaty includes options for an overarching objective, and we recommend that this is kept simple and clear, but includes a need for consistency with sustainable development.
• The section on definitions is currently blank and we stress the importance of clear definitionsand make recommendations for these.
• We welcome the introduction of targets to limit plastic production. This will be very challenging.
• The Treaty addresses alternative plastics, such as bio-based and biodegradable plastics. It is important that these reduce the harm caused by conventional plastics.
• The provisions on waste management are very important – on collection, reuse, recycling, transboundary movement, etc. This is a particularly problematic area and varies significantly around the world.
• This briefing includes specific recommendations on these issues which we hope that Parties consider in the further development of the text of this highly important UN Treaty

Files

SEALIVE-Policy-Briefing-5-UN-Plastics-Treaty-Zero-Draft.pdf

Files (1.3 MB)

Additional details

Funding

European Commission
SEALIVE – Strategies of circular Economy and Advanced bio-based solutions to keep our Lands and seas alIVE from plastics contamination 862910