Can the UN plastics treaty help us tackle plastic pollution?
The UN plastics treaty is set to become the first legally binding framework to address plastic pollution globally. Its goal is to reduce plastic production, improve waste management, and build a circular economy.
TOMRA has developed 10 bold recommendations for this treaty. These practical, scalable solutions support countries in creating effective waste systems, ensuring plastics are reused and recycled rather than polluting the planet.
Through collaboration and innovation, TOMRA is pushing for a circular economy that works for everyone, offering real-world solutions to one of our planet’s most pressing problems.
#1 Waste collection as a human right
Ensure access to efficient and convenient general waste collection for all citizens in all regions as a universal human right. Global access to waste collection is imperative to prevent litter and end illegal dumpsites and open burning.
#2 From single-use to reuse
Promote reuse models by setting targets for specific categories, such as takeaway food and beverage packaging, and creating financial incentives that initiate a shift from single-use to reusable packaging wherever this is environmentally beneficial. This will work towards making plastic consumption more resource efficient.
#3 Ambitious targets for global impact
Ensure specific ambitious mandatory recycling targets for high performance systems, providing realistic, strict timelines for all countries at their individual development stage. Set a minimum 55% recycling rate target for plastic packaging. This will ensure that resources are spent on efficient initiatives towards a sustainable circular economy for plastic
#4 Producers to step up
Adopt well-designed Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation for plastic packaging. Mandatory EPR will provide a long term and sustainable financing mechanism for infrastructure investments to collect, sort, and recycle plastic waste, as well as incentivize producers to choose and manage their packaging more sustainably.
EPR Unpacked: A Policy Framework for a Circular Economy
How high-performing EPR schemes can address the challenges of post-consumer packaging waste.
#5 Deposit return systems to cut plastic waste
Adopt well-designed Deposit Return Systems (DRS) legislation for beverage containers combined with a 90% separate collection target. As a well-mandated, full-cost EPR scheme, DRS will decrease the amount of plastic that lands in nature (approximately 20%-25% of all marine litter is beverage container related) and drive circularity with a proven potential of 80% bottle to bottle recycling.
Rewarding Recycling: Learnings from the world's highest-performing deposit return systems
Download TOMRA’s new white paper revealing best practices in designing deposit return systems for beverage container recycling.
#6 Building an EPR model for textiles
Adopt well-designed EPR legislation for textiles to enable the scaling up of textile collection, sorting, reuse and recycling infrastructure and accelerate the transition towards a circular economy for textiles. Today, polyester represents >50% of the global fiber market with <1% of clothing being recycled into new clothing.
#7 Prioritize sorting before incineration
Introduce legal measures ensuring effective Mixed Waste Sorting (MWS) prior to incineration, including a meaningful CO2 tax on plastic incineration. Furthermore, energy recovery from plastic should not contribute to the achievement of recycling targets, nor be defined as renewable energy. MWS is essential for the high recovery of plastic for recycling and typically increases recycling rates by 2-5 times. Additionally, by diverting plastics from burning, this solution contributes to a reduction in CO2 emissions. As each ton of plastic incinerated generates ~2,5 tonnes CO2 emissions.
The Ultimate Guide to mixed waste sorting
We cannot rely on material-dedicated collection systems alone. Enter mixed waste sorting, the system we explore in this white paper.
#8 Reclaiming plastic before it’s lost
Introduce legal measures ensuring effective MWS prior; to landfill, including landfill plastic taxes or bans where alternative waste treatment is available. MWS will enable the recovery of plastic before it is lost to landfill, keeping these resources in circulation for as long as possible.
#9 Closing the loop with legal mandates
Introduce legal measures ensuring closed-loop – or highquality - recycling, including recycled content targets, financial incentives for use of recycled plastic and strict export/import control for waste and recycled plastic. This will motivate eco-design, as well as optimization throughout a circular value chain
#10 Transparency for real progress
Ensure independent institutions control the transparent reporting and measurement of achievements based on well-defined global industry standards. Worldwide alignment and efficient systems will create a level playing ground and stimulate real progress
