Plastic littering in nature

Can the UN plastics treaty help us tackle plastic pollution?

Here are TOMRA’s 10 recommendations to make it happen 

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.

Plastic pellets

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.

children returning bottles

#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.

Mixed waste

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

TOMRA Infographic_circularity made possible img

TOMRA's 10 recommendations