Ongoing negotiations on plastic pollution seek to improve transparency, tracking, monitoring, and labeling within the plastic supply chain. These efforts aim to bolster accountability and visibility at every stage of production and disposal. The proposed provisions in these negotiations call for Parties to disclose standardized information regarding the chemical composition of plastics and plastic products. This disclosure aims to enable informed decision-making regarding safe usage, recycling, and disposal practices. Traceability measures are also mandated to monitor chemicals, polymers, and plastic contents throughout their life cycles, supporting safe management and compliance monitoring.
Moreover, Parties are tasked with establishing marking and labeling requirements to provide consumers with essential information on recycling instructions, material composition, and environmental impacts, promoting responsible waste management practices. To ensure effective management and regulation, Parties must monitor and track the production, imports, and exports of chemicals and polymers used in plastic production. This tracking enables assessment of usage patterns and targeted interventions to mitigate environmental risks.
Standardized reporting of collected information, including data on chemical usage and recycling facilities, facilitates data sharing, analysis, and progress benchmarking in plastic pollution mitigation efforts, promoting transparency and accountability among stakeholders. Overall, these provisions aim to establish a robust framework for transparency, traceability, and accountability in plastic management, addressing critical aspects of plastic pollution mitigation from production to disposal. The measures seek to empower consumers with information, drive improvements in plastic supply chain practices, and facilitate international cooperation in combating the challenges posed by plastic pollution.
Notably, Norway has proposed ambitious obligations, advocating for global disclosure by primary and secondary plastics producers of polymer types, quantities, and chemical usage in a public database. This proposal received support from Gabon. The African group has proposed intersessional work on a harmonized Global tracker for transparency and disclosure requirements. The European Union and Pacific Small Island Developing States have supported most of the provisions. India has expressed disagreement regarding tracking and reporting production volumes of chemicals and polymers, while the United States aims to improve traceability. Brazil has aligned with the US and India by proposing a weaker ambition.
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