The fourth round of Global Plastics Treaty negotiations (INC-4) is happening in Ottawa from 23-29 April 2024. LEARN MORE

Global Plastics Treaty

What is it and why you should join the call for an ambitious global treaty to end the age of plastic.

On March 2, 2022, the United Nations approved a landmark agreement to create the world’s first-ever global plastics pollution treaty, adopted upon the conclusion of the resumed fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA 5.2).

What is the Plastics Treaty?

The Global Plastics Treaty represents a unique and crucial opportunity for a worldwide coordinated initiative to effectively resolve the ongoing plastic pollution crisis at all stages of the life span of plastics. Nevertheless, there exists a risk of its potential dilution and corruption. We must unite together to advocate for an ambitious treaty, ensuring its effectiveness in mitigating the plastic pollution crisis.

As countries continue the negotiations, the pressure from civil society will be instrumental in ensuring that the treaty:

  • Includes drastic plastic production cuts
  • Protect human health, human rights and the environment
  • Sets accountability measures for plastic producing industries and countries
  • Don’t promote false solutions such as plastic credits, bioplastics, chemical recycling and incineration, and instead promote reuse systems
After three INC meetings, the INC-4 is scheduled to take place from 23-29 of April 2024 in Ottawa, Canada.

What we want out of INC-4

Help us spread the word about the Plastic Treaty!

Plastic is a growing crisis with a devastating impact on the environment and human life. This treaty is an opportunity to get it right.

These priorities ensure that the #PlasticsTreaty meaningfully addresses all aspects of the #PlasticsCrisis.

Sign the petition to support an effective #PlasticsTreaty: bit.ly/PlasticsTreatyPetition

#BreakFreeFromPlastic #INC4

SIGN petitions

Whether you’re an individual, representing an organization, an expert scientist, or a young person, you can join the call for change! Sign the petitions below demanding for an ambitious legally-binding global #PlasticsTreaty.
Petition for Individual Sign-on
SIGN NOW
Civil Society & Stakeholder Call to Action Petition for Organization Sign-on
SIGN NOW
Scientists’ Declaration
SIGN NOW
BFFP Youth Statement on the Global Plastics Treaty
SIGN NOW

Learn and Educate

Knowledge is key in our fight to end plastic pollution. Check out some of the resources below.

EIA INC-3 briefing

READ NOW

CIEL's Towards a Global Treaty to End Plastic Pollution

READ NOW

BFFP Corporate briefing

READ NOW

Defining plastic products, materials and polymers: a proposal

READ NOW

How the Plastic Pollution Resolution relates to chemicals and health

READ NOW

Convention on Plastic Pollution – Essential Elements – Production

READ NOW

Convention on Plastic Pollution – Essential Elements – Finance

READ NOW

Convention on Plastic Pollution – Essential Elements: Reuse

READ NOW

INC-3 Participants analysis revealed

READ NOW

INC-3 Press Release

READ NOW
  • Report (and Executive Summary)

    Is net zero enough for the materials production sector?

    by Zero Waste Europe
    When considering the urgency of reducing GHG emissions there is a possibility that, despite the aims of the net zero pathways, the cumulative carbon emissions budget will be exceeded. This is due to the risks associated with deploying unproven technologies in some sectors – namely, plastics, aluminium, iron & steel, cement & concrete. This report by Zero Waste Europe and Eunomia allocated a risk factor associated with each intervention and quantified how this influences the likelihood of overshooting the remaining carbon budget. It also attempted to determine whether the overshoot can be reduced by accelerating the adoption model deployed for technological interventions
    READ NOW
  • Background paper

    Plastic Treaty – transparency requirement for chemicals constituents in plastic is a must

    by HEJSupport, SSNC, groundWorkSA
    Despite the importance of addressing chemical contamination caused by plastic, information about chemicals in plastic is not disclosed. Lack of transparency for the chemical composition of plastics undermines plastic management to reduce pollution. In this publication, HEJSupport, SSNC and groundWorkSA discuss the urgency of chemical information transparency in plastics and ways to address it within and outside the value chain and throughout the plastic lifecycle. We argue that disclosing chemical constituents in plastic contributes to plastic pollution reduction, resource efficiency via toxic-free circular economy and promotes the public right to know.
    READ NOW
  • Set of Principles

    Key Principles for a plastic treaty

    by IPEN
    IPEN believes that an understanding of the following three principles will be foundational for a Plastics Treaty that addresses the human health and climate threats from plastics throughout their lifecycle, and for promoting alternatives that truly meet the needs of a circular economy.
    READ NOW

#breakfreefromplastic allies and members are calling
for a global #PlasticsTreaty, see what they’re saying online:

“Indigenous Peoples are rights holders, not stakeholders and the lack of our direct engagement in these spaces violates UNDRIP article 41 and ultimately, will lead to a treaty that creates more issues, rather than solving them.” 

Above is a quote from ICC’s first intervention at the INC-4 plastic pollution negotiations this week. ICC requested the Arctic be recognized in the text as a sensitive region, as it is in the Minamata and Stockholm Conventions. 

It also asked that the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples be recognized in the operative text of the document. 

ICC Vice Chair Lisa Qiluqqi Koperqualuk emphasized, “When the text acknowledges human health and the environment, it needs to include the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.”

The need for a rights-based approach was emphasized by the Vice-Chair at the plenary.

#Inuit #PlasticsTreaty #beatplasticpollution

“Indigenous Peoples are rights holders, not stakeholders and the lack of our direct engagement in these spaces violates UNDRIP article 41 and ultimately, will lead to a treaty that creates more issues, rather than solving them.”

Above is a quote from ICC’s first intervention at the INC-4 plastic pollution negotiations this week. ICC requested the Arctic be recognized in the text as a sensitive region, as it is in the Minamata and Stockholm Conventions.

It also asked that the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples be recognized in the operative text of the document.

ICC Vice Chair Lisa Qiluqqi Koperqualuk emphasized, “When the text acknowledges human health and the environment, it needs to include the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.”

The need for a rights-based approach was emphasized by the Vice-Chair at the plenary.

#Inuit #PlasticsTreaty #beatplasticpollution
...

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CIEL’s Daniela Durán reminds us what we came to #PlasticsTreaty #INC4 negotiations to accomplish. 

A treaty fit for purpose will:
✂️ Reduce & limit plastic production to end plastic pollution 
🧪 Detoxify the plastic supply chain 
🏭 Stop the expansion of plastic production capacity
🤰🏽 Ensure the enjoyment of human rights, for us and for future generations

Let’s remind negotiators what ambition looks like!

CIEL’s Daniela Durán reminds us what we came to #PlasticsTreaty #INC4 negotiations to accomplish.

A treaty fit for purpose will:
✂️ Reduce & limit plastic production to end plastic pollution
🧪 Detoxify the plastic supply chain
🏭 Stop the expansion of plastic production capacity
🤰🏽 Ensure the enjoyment of human rights, for us and for future generations

Let’s remind negotiators what ambition looks like!
...

36 1
While progress has been slow at the #inc4 in #ottawa, right holders (we are not stakeholders) made some strong statements yesterday and demand that governments around the world must advance a global deal that prioritizes protection of human rights, health and the environment from plastic pollution.

At CAPws, we are very proud to be on the right side of history!

#PlasticsTreaty #ToxicsFreeFuture #planetnotplastic

While progress has been slow at the #inc4 in #ottawa, right holders (we are not stakeholders) made some strong statements yesterday and demand that governments around the world must advance a global deal that prioritizes protection of human rights, health and the environment from plastic pollution.

At CAPws, we are very proud to be on the right side of history!

#PlasticsTreaty #ToxicsFreeFuture #planetnotplastic
...

1 0
While progress has been slow at the #inc4 in #ottawa, right holders (we are not stakeholders) made some strong statements yesterday and demand that governments around the world must advance a global deal that prioritizes protection of human rights, health and the environment from plastic pollution.

We are very proud to be on the right side of history!

#PlasticsTreaty #ToxicsFreeFuture #planetnotplastic

While progress has been slow at the #inc4 in #ottawa, right holders (we are not stakeholders) made some strong statements yesterday and demand that governments around the world must advance a global deal that prioritizes protection of human rights, health and the environment from plastic pollution.

We are very proud to be on the right side of history!

#PlasticsTreaty #ToxicsFreeFuture #planetnotplastic
...

1 0
⏰️ No es demasiado tarde Sr. P! 

#lessplasticmorelife #menosplásticomásvida
#BreakFreeFromPlastic #plasticstreaty

⏰️ No es demasiado tarde Sr. P!

#lessplasticmorelife #menosplásticomásvida
#BreakFreeFromPlastic #plasticstreaty
...

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