Viewpoint on the UN TREATY to end Plastic Pollution

About the topic

With the common goal to stop plastic pollution, a resolution for a global agreement was adopted by the United Nation Environment Assembly (UNEA) in March 2022. In December 2022, the first meeting of the intergovernmental negotiation (INC-1) took place discussing options how to implement the UN treaty in the best way. Germany and the EU are members of the HAC (High Ambition Coalition), formed by more than 50 countries worldwide, supporting amitious binding global tragets. The HAC will not accept National Determined Contributions (NDC) like in the Paris Climate Agreement without concrete global elements. Various countries have wide ranging viewpoints from HAC to NDS. The main focus is on packaging, but in the entire context all plastic applications are impacted. Relevant points of the discussion are e.g. the reduction of (fossil-based) production capacities, ban of hazardous additives and non-recyclable plastics, microplastics, technical and financial assistance for waste management infrastructure, recycling technologies, labeling, monitoring and reporting, the increasing uptake of recycled plastics, impacts on disadvantaged communities, training and education.

What we offer

• BASF offers plastic solutions that are mainly used for long-term applications, e.g., in transportation, renewable energies, climate-neutral building stocks, and medical sectors, highly contributing to climate goals, human health and well-being.
• BASF continues to invest in material-, product- and recycling innovations. We rethink plastics along their life cycle - from product design through the benefit phase to recycling or re-use options in order to increase recyclability, further develop existing recycling technolgies, optimize manufacturing processes, exchange fossil with recycled feedstock, use materials for as long as possible and focus in the reduction of CO₂ emissions.
• BASF offers additives that improves plastics performance, prolongs the plastics lifetime and supports recycling processes in order to reach amitious recycling targets. We only place plastics additives on the market that ca be safely used in their intended applications.
• BASF supports the availability of easy-to-access health and safety data on plastic additives to increase transparency.
• BASF co-founded the Alliance to End Plastic Waste to establish comprehensive waste management infrastructure as well as new technologies which enable more effective sorting, recycling and recovery. 

What we ask for

• A treaty that balances tailored approaches due to specific circumstances of each country and their different levels of development, capacities and existing systems with global binding targets, transparency and regular reviews.
• A common understanding that protecting the environment while fostering circularity of plastics can only be mastered together with all stakehoulders and actors from industry, politics and sciety worldwide.
• A set of global targets to include the reduction of over packaging, the acceptance of chemical recycling, increased use of recycled plastics and improving the infrastructure for functioning waste collection, sorting, recycling and disposal.
•  BASF strongly opposes a negative list of substances and polymers, without clear criteria or scientific evidence and asks for a treaty that is substance and material neutral and complements existing instruments; any future elimination proposals must be evidence based within a clear, transparent regulatory framework.
• The treaty should ensure technology-neutral regulation and give guidance on how to provide financial, technical and educational assistance that countries are equipped to implement necessary changes to reduce plastics pollution. 

For further information please contact dialog-plastics@basf.com.