Ref. Ares(2021)7903747 - 21/12/2021
Global Agreement on Plastics – a circular economy approach
Building a global circular economy - interplay between European and international legislation
What we would like to see in a Global Plastic
What we can’t support in a Global Plastic Agreement and why
Agreement
• Definitions, e.g. plastic, SUP products (see Plastics Europe • Horizontal definitions which should apply to all types of products, e.g. “reuse”,
decision tree in annex), Microplastics, bio-based,
“over-packaging” etc. While we support the development of such definitions at
) air
biodegradable and compostable plastics
EU level, this won’t be appropriate in a global agreement addressing plastic
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pollution - it won’t be material neutral and would not be consistent with a LCA
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approach
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Technical standards on sustainable plastic product design and
Mandatory product design requirements, e.g. restrictions on use of additives,
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recycled content, e.g. development, with industry input, of
monolayer materials etc. – this could prevent consumer access to quality products
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standards on e.g. caps, labelling,
and inhibit innovation
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• Restrictions on the use of additives – these are already addressed via risk
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assessment by the Stockholm Convention and SAICM
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Commitment to develop as part of national action plans
Mandatory, top-down and plastic-specific international sustainability criteria –
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guidance on sustainable plastic products, with industry input,
which would lead to restrictions and bans. Flexibility is important for countries to
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including on recycled content, and resource efficiency
adapt their regulatory framework and prevent adverse environmental, health, and
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optimisation
socio-economic impacts
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This will facilitate trade and uptake of circular economy
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• Methodology to prevent plastic waste pollution based on • Mandatory restriction measures, e.g. SUPD-like product bans, consumption
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UNEP Life-cycle initiative on SUP products
reductions – to avoid unintended consequences, e.g. sanitation (drinking water,
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food conservation), health (disposable masks and gloves) & safety
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• Best practices sharing, e.g. CPA as value-chain initiative to • Mandatory targets for recycling - flexibility is important for countries to adapt their
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establish targets on recyclates and how to reach them as well
regulatory framework and prevent adverse environmental, health, and
as on sustainable plastic products
socioeconomic impacts
•
Technical standards on waste management, i.e. sorting,
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collection and recycling technologies (including mechanical
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and chemical recycling). Examples include CPA request to
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air CEN on plastic waste quality; Ecodesign and Advanced
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Recycling definitions including mass balance by JCIA together
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with ISO; standards on eco-design and pyrolysis oil developed
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by China CPCIF
Page 1 of 4
General Business
• Guidance to support the development of elements for national • Regulatory top-down measures in national action plans – allow flexibility and
action plans (country or region specific), including plastic
adjustment to local circumstances, as well as coordination with other national
waste management plans and infrastructure as well as
action plans, e.g. on marine litter, climate.
enabling policies (e.g. EPR)
For example, mandatory End of Waste (EoW) criteria for specific plastic wastes
should not be part of national action plans – specific EoW criteria would be far too
complex. Instead, guidelines would support the uptake of the circular economy
• Control of waste shipment to be considered under the Basel
• Bans on plastic waste exports –To avoid duplication and/or inconsistencies
Convention not the Global Agreement on plastics, including:
control of waste shipment should not be part of the Global Agreement on plastics
o
Measures that are designed to prevent illegal waste
but remain under the remit of the Basel Convention. In addition, bans may be
shipments, such as enforcement of existing
counterproductive for countries (e.g., small Islands) that do not have adequate
transboundary waste shipment laws, e.g. controls
infrastructures for the ESM of waste in place.
and inspections.
• In an European context, Plastics Europe supports to only allow shipments of non-
o
a globally led system to promote environmentally
sound management of waste, such as a certification
hazardous plastic wastes to countries with which the EU has a plastic waste
platform for recycling facilities run via an
related agreement.
independent and global organization that sets the
rules to audit and verify practices in relation to
waste (e.g. Basel Convention, standardisation body
such as ISO, ISCC) and standard specifications for
plastic waste combined with standardized testing
and verification protocols
Page 2 of 4
General Business
• Sustainable financing requires numerous elements including: • A tax on plastic could lead to plastic deselection or substitution, e.g. have
o
Development of assistance and capacity building
unintended consequences such as increase food waste and GHGs emissions
o
Data collection to understand the scope and needs
etc.
at all government levels
• Unless directly allocated into waste management infrastructures, a tax deposited
o
Public-Private partnerships
into general funds will inhibit innovation in design for recycling and investments
o
Extended Producer Responsibility Systems
in new recycling technologies
• Effective EPR-like schemesshould be underpinned by
•
enabling national/regional policies (e.g. setting mandatory
Taxes or fees (e.g. on plastic, packaging or recycling) are only marginally able to
recycling or recycled content targets to drive the re-design of
drive consumer behaviour, because they are not assessed at the point where a
consumer can decide how to dispose of a product
products and increase recyclability to enable a circular
economy). They should
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be designed for local conditions to ensure solutions
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that meet the needs and economies of their area
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and help build sustainable business models that
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benefit local communities, including the informal
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workers/waste collectors. Systems designed in
a,
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developed countries may not be effective in
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developing countries;
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o
engage the informal waste picker community, if
relevant, as well as the private sector during the
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design process;
o
be material neutral to ensure participation across all
packaging types and address all materials in the
waste stream, not just plastic;
o
include strong legislative or regulatory frameworks
to address free-riders;
o
ensure proper oversight and monitoring;
o
work with and empower Producer Responsibility
Organizations; and
o
develop a “ring-fenced” program so funding cannot
be diverted for other purposes.
Page 3 of 4
General Business
Annex – Plastics Europe Decision trees on Single-Use Plastics
Decion trees SUP
Guidelines - 16.10.19.pdf
Page 4 of 4
General Business