Peru and Rwanda introduce a draft resolution to negotiate a global plastic pollution treaty at the inaugural United Nations Ministerial Conference on marine litter and plastic pollution; 33 countries sign on as co-sponsors; more than 80 other nations support a UN resolution on plastics
September 6, 2021
FPF comments on UN food systems summit strategy paper
Food Packaging Forum director comments on report outlining food packaging opportunities for the upcoming UN Food Systems Summit; suggests including plastic pollution as a food systems issue for discussion
July 13, 2021
Meeting builds momentum and outlines goals for ICCM5
Participants at the Berlin Forum on Chemicals and Sustainability discuss goals and build momentum for the upcoming 5th International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM5); ministerial dialogue took place July 7th; stakeholder dialogue held on July 8th with over 800 participants
May 6, 2021
Scientists aspire to align UNEA terminology with plastics policy goals
Scientific opinion published in Environmental Science and Technology argues United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) should define terminology around plastic pollution; argues “marine plastic” label misleading; “pollution” a better term than “littler”, “debris”, or “waste”; microplastics should be considered together with macroplastics
April 16, 2021
UNEP: Legislative guide for reduction of single-use plastics
United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) releases legislative guide discussing four approaches to reduce plastic waste generation; includes single-use plastic bans, tax and economic incentives, product standards, extended producer responsibility; advocates for multipronged, complementary regulations
May 13, 2019
Basel Convention to control plastic waste trade
Parties to the Convention adopt changes to place plastic waste under the Prior Informed Consent procedure; requires plastic waste exporters to obtain permission from importing countries
March 18, 2019
UN Environment Assembly on plastic pollution
UN member states review several resolutions on plastic pollution and single-use plastics at fourth UN Environment Assembly; CIEL argues that resulting agreements do not provide the scale and urgency needed
March 12, 2019
UNEP launches GCO II synthesis report
Synthesis report of the Global Chemicals Outlook released during 4th United Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi; full report to be released in April 2019