Plastics talks failure is bad news for the circular economy
In August, negotiators trying to finalise a treaty on ending global plastics pollution failed to reach an agreement. The draft text that did emerge from Geneva was even weaker than the one that had come out of the last negotiations in Busan, in December 2024. The text had shifted from a legally binding framework to a more nationally determined approach.
The negotiations, which began in 2022, are intended to create the first ever legally binding treaty tackling the annual USD 1.5 trillion in health harms caused by plastic pollution. These include the microplastics which are now found in human organs. But the Geneva text removes a list of plastic products to be phased out, waters down compulsory controls on certain plastic products, and reduces the funding responsibilities of developed nations. This all makes that goal seem less achievable.
As the world’s biggest plastics exporter, China is seeking to balance industrial competitiveness with supporting the circular economy. I think the more flexible framework of the Geneva text risks leading to differing standards, which means higher compliance costs for businesses and reduced effectiveness of national investments in plastics reuse. It could also slow the construction of the infrastructure needed to facilitate reuse.
