WRAP attended the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC5) held in Busan, South Korea. The goal of finalising an ambitious Global Plastics Treaty wasn’t met, with negotiations concluding without agreement. This delay is disappointing but highlights the challenge of achieving a treaty capable of delivering meaningful change.
Highlights from Busan
At INC5, WRAP engaged governments and organisations worldwide – sharing expertise, advocating for ambitious global commitments and showcasing practical solutions via success stories from Plastics Pacts.
Key highlights included:
- Co-hosting an official side event with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, featuring voices from the Plastics Pacts in India, the UK, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Colombia, and China, where efforts are underway to establish a Pact.
- Andrea Cino speaking alongside global leaders, including the INC Chair, Brazil’s Environment Minister, and youth activists, at a WWF event advocating for bold action.
- Peter Skelton joining an event hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industries to address challenges and solutions for plastic waste in India.
Discussions will continue at INC 5.2 in 2025 and what we urgently need is a binding treaty. A treaty that enforces action across the plastics lifecycle, from phasing out harmful plastics to sustainable end-of-life solutions, supported by strong financial mechanisms. While a voluntary approach is a start, and can provide a framework for implementation, it won’t solve the current plastic pollution crisis.
Encouraging momentum
There is progress to build on. We are encouraged to see so many nations aligning on key provisions that could form the backbone of an ambitious treaty, including:
- Phasing out harmful plastics and chemicals of concern (Article 3).
- Sustainable production and consumption (Article 6).
- Product design requirements addressing the entire plastics lifecycle (Article 5).
It’s also promising to see major businesses backing global rules through the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty. They have called for binding mandates on collection, reuse, and recycling – committing to help fund through Extended Producer Responsibility.
But challenges remain. There is a clear divide between a coalition of 120 high ambition nations and a smaller group of ‘like-minded’ countries with fundamental disagreements on the scope of The Treaty, whether provisions should be mandatory or voluntary. We must create enough pressure to demonstrate where the majority stands.
As the Business Coalition has stated:
"Governments must make a choice. They can continue negotiating a treaty with universal support but little impact. Or they can agree on a treaty based on global rules across the full lifecycle of plastics, confident in knowing that this is what the majority of governments, businesses, and civil society wants."
Driving global impact: The power of Plastics Pacts
While treaty negotiations continue, action on the ground cannot wait. WRAP is driving immediate and transformative action through the Plastics Pact Network which is co-convened with Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
The Plastics Pacts deliver outsized impact throughout the plastic value chain, drive innovation, stimulate and support locally-led action and ensure positive social and health impacts:
- World leading impact: Since 2018, UK Plastic Pact has reduced problematic plastics by 99.6% and increased recycled content from 8% – 24%.
- At scale: Pact countries eliminated over 33 billion problematic/single use items from sale/distribution.
- Stimulating innovation: Previous Earthshot winner, Notpla originated as a Pact start up.
- Just transition: Working with women informal waste pickers in Columbia ensured changes to packaging designs increased their income.
WRAP supports these Pacts globally to amplify their impact:
- India: Scaling up film recycling solutions with funding from Stewart Investors.
- Fiji: Establishing systems for soft plastics collection and recycling in an island context, supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
- Latin America: Unlocking alternatives to problematic and unrecyclable plastics through a new initiative funded by The Builders Initiative.
While these successes demonstrate the power of voluntary action, a treaty is essential to unlock investment and funding required to scale these successes - particularly in regions like the Global South, where resources are often scarce, and the need is greatest.
The path forward
The path to INC 5.2 is clear but challenging. The world urgently needs a binding, transformative treaty. But action on the ground cannot wait. WRAP and our partners are proving that collaboration can achieve immediate impact and lay the groundwork for circular living.
We invite governments, businesses, and individuals to join us in turning this vision into a shared reality.