Global plastic profiles: India has a single-use plastic problem. What about other countries?

The term “problematic and avoidable plastic products including single-use plastics” encompasses specific categories of plastic items recognised as harmful to the environment and human health, which can be replaced with more sustainable alternatives.

Problematic plastics represent a diverse range of products that pose significant challenges throughout their life cycles, including those difficult to recycle or degrade, leading to persistent pollution in ecosystems. These items, often littered or improperly disposed of, contribute to visual pollution and habitat degradation, while also causing significant harm to wildlife. Examples include multi-layered packaging, plastic utensils, straws and balloons, known for their low recyclability or high rates of single-use disposal.

Avoidable plastics, on the other hand, are those that can be substituted with non-plastic alternatives or eliminated through changes in consumer behaviour, product design or policy interventions. These notably include single-use and disposable items that contribute disproportionately to plastic waste generation.

In the negotiations to end plastic pollution, addressing problematic and avoidable plastic products, particularly single-use items, is a top priority for policymakers and stakeholders seeking effective waste reduction, resource efficiency and environmental protection measures. The aim is to establish appropriate global and national measures such as removing these products from the market, reducing production through alternate practices or non-plastic substitutes, and redesigning problematic items to meet criteria for sustainable and safe product design.

This strategic approach aligns with broader efforts to transition towards circular and sustainable practices in plastic pollution management, aiming to minimise reliance on harmful plastics, promote innovation in materials and product design, and safeguard ecosystems from the adverse impacts of plastic pollution. Ultimately, the goal is to implement comprehensive strategies that reduce the environmental footprint of plastic consumption, while fostering a shift towards more sustainable and responsible consumption patterns globally.

The Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) and European Union (EU) proposed to strengthen this provision by adding strong language like ‘Restrict’ and ‘Eliminate’ such plastic by not allowing production, sale, distribution and trade.

Japan insisted on targeting only single-use plastic with a high potential of leakage into the environment. Japan’s original proposal for the objective of the treaty was to focus on marine litter and not the entire life cycle of plastics.

India agreed to a science-based criteria for identification of such plastics, but aligned with Iran to weaken the provision by using language like ‘regulate’, instead of ‘not allow’. China disagreed to trade restrictions around these kind of plastics.

The US advocated for each party to create a national list of such plastics and disagreed to “not allow” production, sale, distribution and trade. A sub part of this provision that talks about intentionally added microplastics was also disagreed to by the US.

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