Global Agreement on Plastic Pollution: How Should It Work?

Policy Position

Global Agreement on Plastic Pollution: How Should It Work?

America’s Plastic Makers – and plastic makers globally – are championing development of a global agreement for a sustainable, circular economy for plastic. Here’s our vision and ambition.

The Challenge: Unmanaged plastic waste ends up as pollution.

As many of the world’s communities lack even basic systems to collect waste, used materials are often discarded onto land and into rivers and oceans. This unmanaged waste can cause serious environmental and economic damage. While most waste sinks, many plastics are buoyant and can circle the globe on ocean currents.

In a planet with limited resources, we must keep these plastics in our economy and out of our environment.

Our Vision: We envision a world without plastic pollution.

We want a world in which plastics are sustainably produced, designed, used, reused and recycled in a circular economy and don’t become pollution. We believe plastics can contribute significantly to achieving the UN’s (United Nations) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including a lower carbon future.

Our Ambition: We support governments’ ambition* to eliminate additional plastic pollution by 2040.

To get there, we need to accelerate a circular economy in which 100% of plastic products and packaging* are sustainably reused or recycled instead of discarded, enabled by a global agreement that unlocks industry innovation and global investment in plastics circularity.

*G7 Climate, Energy and Environment Ministers Communique, 2023.

Our Approach to a Global Agreement

We agree that sustainable consumption and production and creating well-designed plastic products that help minimize waste are important. We also agree that creating universal access to collection and environmentally sound waste management is a key step toward circularity. Eliminating plastic pollution is not achievable until we close this gap and create a circular economy in which used plastics are valued as a resource and no longer perceived as waste.

We’re championing development of a global agreement to achieve the goal of eliminating plastic pollution while retaining the societal benefits of plastics. Our approach reflects our vision and ambition, as well as our unique knowledge and technical capabilities as innovators and solutions providers. It also reflects the need to respect each country’s unique dynamics and work collaboratively to accelerate progress toward eliminating plastic pollution.

Approximately 3 billion people lack access to basic waste management.

To eliminate additional plastic pollution by 2040, a global agreement must recognize the importance of:

Circularity

  • Sustainable consumption and production.
  • Products designed for longer use, reusability, and recyclability.
  • High recycling rates that return plastics to new production.

Eliminating plastic pollution

  • Universal access to waste management.
  • Unleashing public-private investments.
  • Economic incentives to prevent the loss of plastics to the environment.

Social impacts

  • Participation and social advancement of the informal sector waste/recycling workers.
  • Behavioral change among all stakeholders.

This transition to a circular economy will reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, increase resource efficiency, enhance economic development and create jobs, especially in the global South.

Key Elements of a Global Agreement

To help end additional plastic pollution and accelerate a circular economy for plastics, the agreement should incentivize actions by all stakeholders, include specific global measures supporting effective implementation, foster multistakeholder participation in financing, and enable flexibility for national action plans while holding countries accountable.

1

Global Measures & Actions

A requirement for common provisions that promote effective implementation of the agreement, while recognizing national and local circumstances.

A requirement for governmental action plans and enabling policies with national targets for reducing plastic waste, increasing the use of recycled content, and prioritizing high leakage applications, with specific rates and dates.

2

Progress Reports

National assessments and progress reports on plastic waste reduction, based on universal methodology.

3

Public-Private Partnerships

Mechanisms to accelerate use of recycled plastics through public-private partnerships and blended finance.

4

Guidance

Guidance to accelerate a circular economy, such as best practices on waste minimization, product design by application, informal recycling economy and public policies.

5

Capacity Building

Capacity building to support environmentally sound materials and waste management.

6

Pellet Containment

Mandated participation in a certified program to help prevent plastic pellets in the value chain from entering the environment.

Learn More

Learn how our 5 Actions for Sustainable Change can help support a circular economy.

Enabling Actions

To help eliminate plastic waste and accelerate a circular economy for plastics under a global agreement, multiple stakeholders will need to take collective action and act in partnership. Success relies on stakeholders from the following sectors taking action:

  • Governments
  • Plastic Makers and Converters
  • Financial Institutions
  • Brands/Retailers/Users of Plastics
  • Recyclers/Waste Management
  • Scientific/Academic Institutions

Learn more details on enabling actions.

Success = A Circular Economy for Plastics

  • Used plastics become inputs for circular plastic production.
  • Products are designed with circularity in mind, including a focus on reuse. 
  • Smart policies, technologies and financing close the gap in the materials/waste management ecosystem, including collection, sortation and recycling. 
  • Markets for used plastics grow as infrastructure develops; markets are economically self-sustaining, supported by national policies and harmonized global criteria.

An enabling global agreement on plastic pollution can unleash innovation and help achieve a circular economy for plastics around the globe.

 

Learn more about the vision and ambition of America’s Plastic Makers and the Global Partners on Plastics Circularity.