Global Plastics Treaty collapse: ‘fragmented’ transition ahead

INC-5.2 negotiations ended without a Global Plastics Treaty last Friday – and with no certain path forward for global negotiations, companies and analysts believe the transition is now likely to be fragmented.

For those following Global Plastics Treaty negotiations over the last three years, the outcome of last week’s Geneva meeting is a deep disappointment. Talks quickly collapsed after the INC-5.2 Chair yielded to pressure by oil-producing nations to water down the agreement and make it mostly voluntary. 

High-ambition countries, which were pushing for a production cap, robust financing mechanisms and measures to tackle the health costs derived from the plastic crisis, immediately said they would not adopt the document. And after 10 days – and nearly three years – of negotiations, delegates left once again without the legally binding Global Plastics Treaty promised in 2022.

“Disappointingly, consensus among nations has remained elusive, which further delays critical action to tackle plastic pollution and capture the economic benefits that effective harmonised regulation would bring. This round of negotiations has failed to deliver the certainty that business needs to further mobilise investment and scale solutions to address plastic pollution,” wrote the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty in a statement.

“This breakdown in negotiations means the plastic crisis will continue unchecked, while the world waits for the urgent action it so desperately needs,” added Erin Simon, Vice President and Head of Plastic Waste & Business at WWF.

What next for global plastics regulation?

With no other negotiation session on the schedule, the countries pushing for an agreement are now left with a dilemma: keep trying to get a consensus knowing that oil-producing nations like the US, Russia and Saudi Arabia will continue to reject the most impactful measures, or form a high-ambition alliance and leave them behind. 

“This fragmentation risks distorting trade flows, creating compliance complexity, and discouraging cross-border investment in recycling and alternative materials infrastructure,” warned James Kennedy, Technology Analyst at IDTechEx. 

“The downstream effects will be felt across the plastics value chain. Brand owners will face a patchwork of requirements on packaging design, labelling, and recyclability, complicating supply chains and increasing costs. Polymer producers and converters will have less visibility on future demand for recycled and bio-based feedstocks, slowing capital deployment into these emerging sectors. The lack of a common framework also makes it harder to address transboundary plastic waste and the leakage of materials into the environment, meaning progress will continue to depend on a combination of national policy, corporate leadership, and consumer pressure.”

Leaving oil countries behind may be the only way to get an agreement, but on the business side, companies warn that fragmented progress would increase uncertainty and costs. “An ambitious treaty addressing the full lifecycle of plastic can drive consistency across borders, support national ambitions, and provide the lowest cost option to effectively address plastic pollution. Voluntary efforts are not enough, and the current fragmented regulatory landscape results in increased costs and complexity for business,” said Jodie Roussell, Global Public Affairs Lead, Packaging & Sustainability at Nestlé.

Increased clarity on top measures

For the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty, the last three years of negotiations were not a complete waste: the group hailed the “increased clarity” they brought on what’s needed to tackle the full lifecycle of plastics – including phase-outs, product design, and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) – with more than 100 countries in agreement over these primary elements.

The coalition of more than 300 companies says it will continue to call for consistent and harmonised regulation on these measures, and will “stand ready to work with policymakers across the world in support of the globally harmonised regulations that business needs, and the majority of nations want”.