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Delegates from 175 countries have gathered in Busan, South Korea, today for the fifth and final round of talks aimed at securing an international treaty to solve the problem of plastic waste. The OECD has reported that without additional action, annual plastic production, use and waste, are predicted to increase by 70% in 2040 compared to 2020.1

Previous rounds of talks have struggled as parties have disagreed on the scope and goals of the treaty. For instance, the 'High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution' (including the UK, EU, Japan, and many southern hemisphere nations) has favoured introducing a cap on the amount of plastic that can be produced. In contrast, the 'Global Coalition for Plastics Sustainability', which counts as members China, Russia, and Saudi Arabia, have supported solutions based on 'circularity', that is, reuse and recycling, rather than abatement.

The plastics treaty talks will run from 25 November 2024 to 1 December 2024.

 

1.  OECD, 'Policy Scenarios for Eliminating Plastic Pollution by 2040' (October 2024), link.

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