International Discussions to End Plastic Pollution: What It Means for Waste and Resource Management
Published Online: August 12, 2025
Written by: Kristyn Oldendorf
"A Global Push for a Legally Binding Agreement
What could an international treaty to prevent plastic pollution look like? That is the big question as the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) meets in Geneva, Switzerland for the sixth session of its Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2) with the goal to develop a legally binding agreement to prevent plastic pollution in the environment.
I recently attended INC-5.2 pre-events in Geneva on behalf of SWANA and met with key stakeholders, including representatives from the US and Canadian delegations. Tensions have been high on whether to include caps on plastic production, whether to phase out certain materials, how financing mechanisms will work, and how prescriptive the agreement should be, among other topics. Despite the disagreements, there is hope that an agreement will be reached this week. ..."
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