The global plastics treaty must include strict global controls on plastic waste trade

Abstract

Global plastic production has more than doubled over the past two decades, fueling a parallel rise in transboundary plastic waste trade (PWT). Despite efforts to curb this through the Basel Convention and its 2021 Plastic Waste Amendments (BCPWA), loopholes and inconsistent implementation continue to allow large volumes of problematic and hidden plastic waste to bypass regulation. This flow of waste from high-income to lower-income countries has resulted in disproportionate environmental and social harms, often described as waste colonialism. Three years after the BCPWA entered into force, its limited impact highlights the urgent need for stronger, clearer, and universally enforceable rules. As the Global Plastics Treaty (GPT) nears conclusion at INC-5.2, negotiators have a critical opportunity to strengthen global controls. Expanding the Basel Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure to cover all plastic waste - including currently unregulated categories such as synthetic textiles and B3011 plastics - would close existing regulatory gaps, promote transparency, and ensure environmentally sound management. While a full ban on PWT may be politically unattainable in the near term, universal PIC represents a pragmatic step forward. Ultimately, meaningful progress demands upstream solutions: the GPT must prioritize reducing plastic production at its source, especially for the most harmful and unnecessary applications.