The EPR landscape is changing rapidly in the US. In May, Maryland and Washington state joined Maine, Oregon, California, Colorado, and Minnesota in passing EPR for packaging. Illinois and Rhode Island both saw joint EPR for packaging and Deposit Return System bills introduced, and more states introduced needs assessment language. OPLN is continuing its work through the 

U.S. Circular Policy Leadership Network (CIRCLE)

 to help unite stakeholders, foster dialogue, and build capacity for system-level circular economy approaches for legislators, industry leaders, NGOs, and policy experts across the United States. Over the past three months, we’ve convened high-impact plenaries that examined the realities of developing and implementing circular policy in the U.S. and offered a platform for in-depth dialogue on regulatory, legislative, and operational challenges. Learn more about our upcoming events, state and federal regulatory developments, and past event highlights below.

Upcoming Events: June Virtual Plenary & Montréal Summit

needs assessments. We’ll explore how states can use data and planning to inform the next generation of circular policy—and how the private sector can prepare and participate. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions to legislators and suggest discussion topics for plenary Q&A. Click 

for the agenda. Express Interest in attending: 

. Participants will visit cutting-edge recovery and recycling infrastructure and engage directly with Canadian policymakers and regulators, producer responsibility organizations (PROs), and sector innovators. This summit is designed to provide experiential insight into circular systems in action and reflect on Canadian policy approaches.

NOTE: CIRCLE Expeditionary Summits are invite-only for OPLN CIRCLE members, select category experts, and U.S. state legislators. Interested in Joining? Learn more about the 

State and Federal Regulatory Developments

Maine, Oregon, California, Colorado, Minnesota, Washington, and Maryland

—have passed legislation that places responsibility for packaging waste on producers. While each law is unique, they introduce oversight through PRO, material-specific recycling goals or a process for establishing goals, and incentives for using environmentally preferable packaging. Maine was the first state to enact such legislation, passing LD 1541 in 2021 to support municipal recycling through producer-paid stewardship. Oregon followed with SB 582 in 2022, which requires producers to join a PRO and meet plastic recycling targets of 25 percent by 2028, increasing to 75 percent by 2050. California's SB 54, also enacted in 2022, is among the most ambitious, mandating that by 2032 all packaging must be recyclable or compostable, with a 25 percent reduction in plastic packaging and a 65 percent recycling rate for single-use plastics. Colorado’s HB 22-1355, passed the same year, created a statewide system funded entirely by producers. In May 2024, Minnesota passed HF 3577, requiring producer registration, the establishment of enforceable recycling targets, and penalties for non-compliance.

NOTE: CIRCLE Plenaries are invite-only for OPLN members, category experts, and U.S. state legislators. Interested in Joining? Click here to learn more: 

In May 2025, Maryland Governor Wes Moore signed SB 901 into law, establishing Maryland's EPR program for packaging and paper products. SB901 proposes that producers submit five-year responsibility plans and build upon a completed needs assessment to improve materials management. Senator Augustine, one of the bill's sponsors, will join the upcoming OPLN virtual plenary to reflect on the policy and process. A Maryland Advisory Board representative will also join the session to outline stakeholder roles in the state’s needs assessment. HDR, the firm behind the state’s packaging EPR study, will share key findings and compare approaches from California and Colorado. The experts will share how legislation, roles, and scope are designed to best position PROs and regulators for effective action planning.

Meanwhile, states like Illinois and Rhode Island are exploring hybrid approaches that combine EPR with bottle deposit bills. Illinois Senator Laura Murphy will join the CIRCLE virtual plenary on June 5 to reflect on Illinois’ joint bill process, upcoming milestones, and lessons for other states building momentum for circular policies.

Beyond EPR, packaging materials legislation is gaining traction across a broader swath of the country. Several states, including New Jersey and Washington, have passed recycled content requirements. These laws mandate minimum levels of post-consumer recycled material in certain packaging formats, promoting market development for recycled feedstock. Illinois has advanced bills addressing a ban on polystyrene in schools, a single-use bag ban, and standardized tethered bottle caps to improve recyclability. New York’s proposed Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act calls for the elimination of harmful chemicals in packaging and sets aggressive recycled content targets across materials.

Our March plenary explored lessons from EPR programs in Minnesota, Oregon, and California - states that saw circular policy milestones in the first quarter of 2025. The Plenary brought together policymakers, technical experts, and stakeholders for a 90-minute session on the state of U.S. circular policy and reflections from the first states translating policy into real-world implementation. Highlights included national policy updates from Dylan de Thomas (VP of Public Policy, The Recycling Partnership), a “Writer’s Room” - CIRCLE’s signature interactive “superpanel” of legislators, staff, and policy experts responsible for writing and passing US EPR bills - with Senator Bridget Valverde (RI), Senator Heidi Campbell (TN), Representative Sydney Jordan (MN), Nicole Portley (OR Oregon Department of Environmental Quality), Tina Andolina (Chief of Staff to CA Senator Ben Allen), and Kate Bailey (Chief Policy Officer, APR), and implementation insights from Dr. Victoria Reinhardt, newly elected Chair of Minnesota’s Packaging EPR Advisory Board.

At the March plenary, Tina Andolina emphasized the nuances of defining "producer" in EPR legislation, noting that obligations vary based on each state’s unique context. The panel fostered valuable cross-state learning, with Senator Heidi Campbell (TN) engaging Representative Sydney Jordan (MN) on stakeholder feedback mechanisms as Tennessee prepares its own EPR legislation. Kate Bailey shared key implementation lessons from her engagement in multiple states, underscoring the importance of clear timelines and data reporting expectations for producers. Dr. Victoria Reinhardt highlighted Minnesota’s multistakeholder advisory board model of establishing subgroups to tackle various technical questions arising—for example, aligning on infrastructure needs—offering a potential blueprint for other states bridging policy and implementation.

In April, we shifted our focus to California’s SB 54 and ongoing federal EPR developments. A leadership panel featuring California Senator Ben Allen’s Chief of Staff Tina Andolina, and leaders from Circular Action Alliance, StopWaste, and Ocean Conservancy offered firsthand reflections from SB 54 implementation. Participants examined the implications of California’s paused rulemaking process, reflections on target-setting, and the evolution of PRO, regulator, and advisory board roles. Dr. Michaela Barnett (Congressional Fellow, Rep. Paul Tonko) and Kate Bailey (Chief Policy Officer, APR) provided insights into the evolving federal framework and how it will incorporate state-level learning and definitions.

The session highlighted varying perspectives of California’s updates to compostability certifications and labeling and insights into the challenges and opportunities faced in bridging legislation to implementation. The Federal Legislation is being reviewed now in Rep. Paul Tonko's office after a public consultation period and is expected to be brought forward in the coming months.

As EPR momentum builds across the U.S., CIRCLE remains committed to equipping stakeholders with the insight, connections, and context needed for effective policy. Whether through our interactive plenaries or upcoming experiential learning in Montréal, we’re fostering a space where legislators, regulators, industry leaders, and NGOs can explore what circularity means in practice—and how to move from policy to impact. We look forward to continuing this work together in the months ahead.

Now is the time to stay ahead of EPR legislation’s momentum in the US. CIRCLE will continue to bring together the writers and implementers of US circular policy from across the country. CIRCLE Plenaries are invite-only for OPLN members, category experts, and U.S. state legislators. To learn more about CIRCLE, please fill out our 

From Legislation to Implementation: CIRCLE’s Role in the Evolving Landscape of U.S. EPR Policy

On May 7th, the Ocean Plastics Leadership Network (OPLN) hosted the 

, bringing together key voices engaged in the negotiations for the Global Treaty on Plastic Pollution. 

Since the inaugural INC-1 in Punta Del Este, Uruguay, thousands of stakeholders and representatives from over 35 member states have joined OPLN’s informal multi-stakeholder forum following each negotiation. Despite the absence of a formal mandate for multi-stakeholder engagement in the negotiations, this forum has played a vital role in informing stakeholders across six continents about the evolution of the treaty negotiations.

Last month, our community was honored by the presence of 

Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (UNEP)

, who provided the opening remarks and INC-4 recap ahead of the series of presentations and panels. These sessions aimed to break down the complex treaty process into concise, digestible insights with help from renowned experts.

“During the 4th round of negotiations, members of the committee made steady progress in advancing the text of the instrument. Textual negotiations commenced at INC-4 based on the validated text by co-chairs and co-facilitators and at the request of the committee, the Secretariat will issue a compilation document drawn from the 5 non-papers prepared by the INC-4 subgroups which reflect the latest progress of the text…

Also, through active discussions, the committee agreed on a way forward for intersessional work and decided to establish 2 ad hoc intersessional open-ended expert groups. The 1st group will develop an analysis of potential sources and means that could be mobilized for the implementation of the objectives of the instrument and including options for the establishment of a financial mechanism and alignment of financial flows and catalyzing finance. The 2nd group will identify and analyze criteria and non-criteria based approaches with regard to plastic products and chemicals of concern in plastic products and product design focusing on recyclability and reusability of plastic products considering their uses and applications are multiple, but we will all start unpacking that very soon. And this is all for consideration by the committee at its 5th session. In addition, the committee decided to establish an open-ended legal drafting group which will conduct a legal review of any elements of the draft text with a view to ensuring that the text is reflected in a legalIn seven days, a massive amount of work was indeed carried out by the committee. Ottawa, with the involvement of thousands of participants, was larger than any other INC session to date. More than 2,500 delegates attended, representing 170 member states and over 480 observer organizations, including non-governmental organizations, intergovernmental organizations, and UN entities. The participation of observers in the last session increased by almost 50%. I personally felt inspired by meeting many new and previous INC delegates across the halls of the Shaw Centre. The tireless effort that everyone is putting into this work is a true example of the commitment to this process and a pledge to tackle plastic pollution. I am in awe of the non-stop dedication of the delegates of member states and observer organizations, some of whom are here today. Despite the very late hours, you were always present and dynamic in the room.

As we head to the Republic of Korea in November, let me also highlight the continued engagement of all stakeholders in this process. In the spirit of Resolution 514, all stakeholders play a vital role in driving attention to plastic pollution and amplifying the discussions beyond the negotiations. You are at the forefront of the issues. Your voices, including those of the most vulnerable—youth, indigenous peoples, women, and waste pickers—are very much needed.”

Ad Hoc Intersessional Open-ended Expert Groups

 Member states have decided to move forward with inter-sessional work on several critical topics: financial mechanisms, plastic products, chemicals of concern in plastic products, product design, reuseability and recyclability. 

 Over 50 Countries have advocated for the inclusion of primary plastic polymers within the scope of discussions. However, the consensus on this matter was not reached during the Ottawa session.

 The expert group's work will be co-chaired by Ms. Kate Lynch of Australia and Mr. Oliver Boachie of Ghana, bringing diverse perspectives and leadership to the discussions. 

 The Open-ended Expert Groups are scheduled to convene in the last week of August in Thailand, where they will continue their crucial work on shaping policies and strategies to combat plastic pollution. 

, moderated a discussion on the most pressing treaty topics, including Bridge to Busan Declaration, primary plastic polymers, problematic and avoidable plastic products, financial mechanisms, and reuse. 

The panel featured member state negotiators:

 - Plastic Pollution Negotiator, Federated States of Micronesia

 - UK Lead Negotiator on Plastic Pollution Treaty

 - Deputy Permanent Representative, UNEP Indonesia

 - Lead Negotiator - Oceans (AOSIS), Samoa

 - Lead Plastic Pollution Negotiator, United States

The Gist of It: Bridge to Busan - A Primary Plastic Polymers Declaration

Dennis Clare, Plastic Pollution Negotiator for the Federated States of Micronesia

, represented one of the 34 signatories of 

. He provided valuable insights into why this declaration is a critical one to track.

Global & National Priorities on Product Design, Reusability, and Recyclability

Dr. Julius Piercy, the UK Lead Negotiator on the Plastic Pollution Treaty

, provided insights on the UK's perspective regarding product design and material substitutions ahead of the critical intersessional work scheduled for August 2024 in Thailand.

Dr. Piercy emphasized the importance of product design, stating:

Larke Williams, Lead Plastic Pollution Negotiator for the United States

, shared the perspective of the US State Department on leveraging existing frameworks to craft effective and legally binding treaty text. 

She emphasized important lessons learned from the Montreal Protocol, particularly how science-based targets can lead the way.

37 years ago, scientists and policymakers unveiled what the United Nations calls “the most successful treaty in UN history.” On September 16, 1987, the first 24 nations signed on to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer; 173 more have signed on in the years since. The international agreement likely saved the world from an environmental crisis, while setting an example for how to develop and implement environmental policy.

Figure 1. Maximum ozone hole extent over the southern hemisphere, from 1979 to 2023

Prompted by scientific observations from the laboratory, the ground, aircraft, and satellites, the Montreal Protocol first reduced and then banned the chlorine- and bromine-based chemicals (particularly chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs) that destroy atmospheric ozone. The destruction of the ozone layer allows more of the Sun’s ultraviolet radiation to reach the surface of the planet, increasing the risk of sunburns, skin cancer, and eye damage. The most prominent and infamous sign of depletion is the annual “ozone hole” that forms around the South Pole.

The UN Plastics Treaty represents a unique opportunity to mobilize world leaders, businesses, and communities around a common goal and action plan to bring plastic use within planetary boundaries and eliminate the plastic pollution wreaking havoc our planet.

As the provider of technology systems underpinning 88% of the world’s commerce, SAP is committed to delivering the digital solutions and innovations needed to enable the goals of the treaty at scale.

SAP is a long-term partner to the Ocean Plastics Leadership Network and has greatly benefited from learning, collaborating, and co-innovating on ideas within the Network. As a result, SAP's approach to developing technical solutions to advance the circular economy also focuses on ensuring businesses are ready to take on the challenges and opportunities that such a landmark treaty will represent. SAP Responsible Design and Production helps businesses navigate new regulations, standardize the approach to material measurement, support design processes that enable innovation and unlock solutions that will be sustainable for the long term.

We look forward to continuing our partnership and doing our part to see that plastic never becomes waste or pollution, and the value of products and materials is retained in the economy, as stated by Stephen Jamieson, Global Head of Circular Economy solutions at SAP.

 to find out more about SAP’s circular economy software solutions and learn how SAP Responsible Design and Production can help your business transition to more sustainable products and packaging.

Tracking with the Plastic Pollution Treaty: INC-4 Aftermath, Intersessionals in Thailand, and the Road to INC-5 in South Korea

In partnership with the UK Government, OPLN will host the fourth series of the 

UK National Treaty Dialogues for Plastic Pollution

 - a multi-stakeholder convening programme designed to inform the UK position in the UN Plastics Treaty negotiations ahead of 

 in Ottawa, Canada on the 23rd - 29th of April, 2024.

This invitation-only programme composed of four sectoral meetings and a plenary session:

February 14th, Upstream Sectoral Session 

(oil & gas, petrochemicals and packaging converters)

February 15th, Midstream Sectoral Session

February 16th, Downstream Sectoral Session

James Smith, Deputy Director for Marine Policy, Defra said:

The UK strongly values the active and meaningful participation of stakeholders at all stages of the INC process, so we can take on board your expertise, knowledge and experiences to drive forward global change and bring us one step closer to tackling plastic pollution.”


The UK National Treaty Dialogues for Plastic Pollution commenced with the first session on November 1st, 2022, ahead of INC-1 in Uruguay. Since then, OPLN has brought together over 60 organisations across the UK plastics ecosystem systematically in conjunction with the official treaty schedule to inform the negotiations process of the Global Treaty for Plastic Pollution. In October, 2023 OPLN 

 for continuation of this program throughout the INC-5 with match funding from the UK government.

Reports from OPLN’s UK National Treaty Dialogues are available here:

: Punta del Este, Uruguay - November 2022

What to expect from the INC-4 UK National Dialogues Series?

Through dedicated working groups, the program prioritizes sectoral collaboration (upstream, midstream, downstream and ENGO & Academia) and informs cross-sectoral engagement through a plenary format.

The participants will have an opportunity to delve into the key treaty considerations first in a working group format and then jointly review and provide feedback on the contributions of other groups through the plenary session including presentations, panel discussions and breakout session.

stakeholder groups will focus on identifying minimum technical requirements for treaty provisions

International vs Nationally Determined Obligations

Sectoral Approach including Provisions and Exemptions

The program is supported by the stakeholder sentiment survey which enables effective and systemised identification of cross-sectoral alignment in relation to treaty text.

For example, during INC-3 convening, OPLN deployed a sentiment survey to capture further insights from the participants of the dialogues. Based on the multi-stakeholder survey responses we identified 5 cross sectoral areas of alignment:

 - Introduce measures on reporting that are standardized globally.

 - Take a sectoral approach to core obligations.

 - Introduce global obligations on transparency of plastic products.

 - Look to create conditions to encourage consistent, equitable and sustainable investments in waste management infrastructure, considering existing global disparities.

 - Introduce globally harmonized design standards for plastic polymers and products.


The survey also provided insights into areas of the Zero Draft text which require additional recommendations:

 - Respondents of the survey provided neutral or negative sentiment on leveraging existing funding mechanisms as a modality for UN Treaty means of implementation in the context of management and reporting of funds accrued and dispersed under the instrument.

 - Upstream, Downstream, NGO & Academia respondents agree that the Treaty for Plastic Pollution should address greenwashing and misleading environmental claims on alternative plastics.

- The survey results show that industry respondents lack alignment around production caps and establishing targets for virgin polymer production in some form

In 2023, The UK Dialogues brought together voices and perspectives from 46 impact organisations central to the plastics crisis, including stakeholders from:

Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing & Organizing (WIEGO)

The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP)

For questions about the programme or invitation requests , please contact:

OPLN will host UK Multi-Stakeholder Convening Series Ahead of INC-4 in Ottawa, Canada

This Monday (6/27), in Lisbon and Online...

, and a range of plastic pollution experts at the UN Ocean Conference for a panel titled: 

From Ambition to Action: Ending Plastic Pollution in All Environments.


As we launch negotiations for an ambitious plastics treaty, this event will allow governments, civil society, academia and business to gather together, make connections, and share views on essential elements for a successful agreement.

27th June | 1pm-3pm EST | 6-8pm Western Europe Summer Time

Venue: United Nations Ocean Conference, Lisbon, Ikonik Hotel

Refreshments will be provided for in-person attendees

Add to your calendar and register your interest at 

 to be reminded to tune in at any of the channels above. 

In-person participants are able to arrive at the event from 6 PM, the formal session will commence at 6.30 PM and last for approximately 60 minutes, followed by the opportunity for networking with participants.

Christina Dixon is the Ocean Campaign Leader at EIA and has been focused on the development of policy positions and analysis for civil society, governments and business on the topic of plastic pollution and the treaty specifically. Her analysis of the treaty has been a centerpiece of OPLN's Global Treaty Dialogues.

Christina also works actively in other multilateral environmental fora, including the International Maritime Organization and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, while leading the Ocean programme at EIA, in particular work with retailers and brands on plastic reduction, on EU plastics policy and UNEA. They have a background of over ten years in environmental campaigning and advocacy, with a specialism in plastic pollution from fisheries.

Lisbon, Portugal | June 27 - July 1st, 2022 - The 

 co-hosted by Portugal and Kenya, is a unique opportunity to boost collective efforts and find science-based solutions to effectively address the challenges that the ocean is now facing. 

The theme of this UN meeting is “Scaling up ocean action based on science and innovation for the implementation of Goal 14: stocktaking, partnerships, and solutions.”

From Ambition to Action: Ending Plastic Pollution in All Environments

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The UK National Treaty Dialogues on Plastic Pollution: INC-3 Report is here!  

This comprehensive program report, officially unveiled at the Global Treaty Dialogues: INC-3 Digest on December 13th, 2023, captures a summary of the key takeaways from the UK National Treaty Dialogues on Plastic Pollution. Held virtually from October 20th to November 1st, 2023, these dialogues, hosted by OPLN in collaboration with the UK Government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), aimed to provide crucial insights and key recommendations for the Zero Draft text. The report, capturing discussions from diverse stakeholders, serves as a thorough guide for the UK Government on addressing plastic pollution. 

For a detailed overview of the recommendations, you can access the full report here.

These dialogues had two primary objectives: 

 on the intergovernmental negotiation process

 informing the UK's stance at the upcoming third meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee in Nairobi, Kenya, from November 13th to 19th, 2023.

Facilitated in collaboration with the UK Government, this program is a testament to the synergy between public and private sectors. 

To provide insights to this partnership, James Smith, Deputy Director for Marine Policy at Defra, shares an opening statement: 

"We know how important tackling plastic pollution is for health and the environment. We also know how crucial this new instrument will be in ending plastic pollution globally, and it is hugely important that we continue to work together as negotiations progress to ensure a workable and effective treaty. As founding members of the High Ambition Coalition to end plastic pollution, the UK is dedicated to ending plastic pollution by 2040. The UK strongly values the active and meaningful participation of stakeholders at all stages of the INC process, so we can take on board your expertise, knowledge and experiences to drive forward global change and bring us one step closer to tackling plastic pollution."

We are pleased to announce that the UK Government's Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has confirmed its continued support for the UK National Treaty Dialogues on Plastic Pollution programme.

 In a groundbreaking move, Defra will match funding contributed by industry donors, ensuring a robust initiative in line with the UN Plastics Treaty schedule (2022-2025). 

Stay in the know about this development by checking out the official press release 

Over a two-week period, stakeholders across the UK plastics ecosystem engaged in four focused sectoral meetings to assess sections of the Zero Draft text. This format aimed to address sector-specific concerns and promote dialogue on crucial topics. The final stage involved a multi-stakeholder plenary session, fostering collaborative discussions that transcended individual sectors, underlining the importance of cross-sectoral solutions. 

The UK Dialogues brought together voices and perspectives from 46 impact organizations central to the plastics crisis, including stakeholders from:

Throughout these sessions, the group discussed their individual provisions and potential options based on the Zero Draft, encompassing...

Problematic and avoidable products, including short-lived and single-use plastic products and intentionally added microplastics

Reduce, reuse, refill and repair of plastics and plastic products including fishing gear

Recycled plastic contents, alternative plastics and plastic products and non-plastic substitutes

Waste management including transboundary movement of plastic waste

Trade in listed chemicals, polymers and products, and in plastic waste

Existing plastic pollution,including in the marine environment

Monitoring, reporting and effective evaluation 

International cooperation, capacity-building, technical assistance and technology transfer

Each sector explored respective interventions capable of reducing and/or eliminating the potential environmental and social harm associated with each step of the plastics life cycle, and presented outcomes to representatives of the UK government and general audience during the UK Dialogues. 

On the 1st of November 2023, the Plenary session commenced. Guided by James Smith from Defra, this session seamlessly united stakeholders across the entire UK plastics ecosystem. The session was distinguished by a diverse panel of representatives, drawn from each sectoral meeting, offering a comprehensive debrief on their respective recommendations for the Zero Draft text to the engaged audience of 46 participating organizations. 

OPLN also deployed a sentiment survey to capture further insights from the participants of the dialogues. Based on the multi-stakeholder survey responses we identified 5 cross sectoral areas of alignment:

The Treaty for Plastic Pollution should...

Introduce measures on reporting that are standardized globally.

- Take a sectoral approach to core obligations.

- Introduce global obligations on transparency of plastic products.

- Look to create conditions to encourage consistent, equitable and sustainable investments in waste management infrastructure, considering existing global disparities.

- Introduce globally harmonized design standards for plastic polymers and products.

Respondents of the survey provided neutral or negative sentiment on leveraging existing funding mechanisms as a modality for UN Treaty means of implementation in the context of management and reporting of funds accrued and dispersed under the instrument.

Upstream, Downstream, NGO & Academia respondents agree that the Treaty for Plastic Pollution should address greenwashing and misleading environmental claims on alternative plastics.

The survey results show that industry respondents lack alignment around production caps and establishing targets for virgin polymer production in some form.

Where do UK Stakeholders Align on UN Treaty on Plastic Pollution - INC-3 Report Release

A sunset panorama of Mullion Cove in Cornwall

Alok Sharma, President of COP26 in Glasgow, said in March of 2021 that 

“demand is snowballing for commencing negotiations on a new global agreement to tackle marine plastic litter.” In the UK over the past year, this demand has manifested in several ways among different key stakeholder groups.

Alok Sharma speaks at COP26 in November 2021

Beyond the UK Government’s support for a new treaty to 

, there are a multitude of intersecting domestic efforts to curb plastic pollution. What follows is a summary of multiple reports on plastics over the past few years from four different stakeholder groups in the plastics crisis: 

. Taken together, this can be seen as a cross-section of domestic stakeholder views on plastic in the leadup to the 

UK Plastic Treaty Dialogues and INC-1 in November 2022

OPLN is a neutral convener of stakeholders. The inclusion of reports here does not imply favor for any one viewpoint. Subsequent OPLN media installments will include reports from more stakeholders and stakeholder groups.

briefing paper on plastic waste in the UK

 (published March 2022) offers a range of useful information of recent government positions on the plastics issue, including information on the UK Government’s and devolved Governments' plans and ambitions to reduce avoidable plastic waste.

The UK has various obligations under international and national law relating to the shipment of waste abroad, particularly under the 

UN Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Waste and their Disposal (the Basel Convention)

. The Basel Convention has been recently amended to require that a 

 is used for the shipment of certain types of plastic waste.

The Scottish Government has consulted on 

 (DRS), expected to begin in August 2023. DRS infrastructure, such as reverse vending machines, will start rolling out from summer 2022. Work is planned to introduce schemes across the rest of the UK in due course.

 since its launch in 2018. GPAP brings together world leaders, decision-makers, and industry to take collaborative action on tackling plastic pollution in developing countries. GPAP has so far established partnerships in Indonesia, Ghana, Vietnam, Pakistan, Nigeria and the state of Maharashtra (India).

The UK’s contribution to GPAP supports the development of inclusive, multi-stakeholder platforms, with the aim of engaging 25 countries by the year 2025. The activities funded through this programme will help tackle the threat of plastic waste before it enters the ocean and support the transition to a circular economy.

The UK supports the collaborative efforts of GPAP and the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), a UK based NGO working globally to reduce the environmental costs of the food, clothing and plastic packaging we use. See the following press release for further information:

WRAP and GPAP Partner to Tackle Global Plastic Pollution together

 was the first to demonstrate the widespread occurrence of microscopic particles in the environment. Work led by 

 showed that particles which he described as ‘microplastic’ had accumulated in the oceans since the 1960s and were now widespread.

The work of tracking plastic pollution in the environment continues at Plymouth through various projects, among them 

. Started in 2020 and funded through 2024, the project brings together internationally recognised polymer scientists, marine and terrestrial biologists and ecotoxicologists to assess biodegradable plastics and their effect on the environment.

: “For years, biodegradable materials – including plant-based bioplastics – have been highlighted for their potential to reduce the environmental impact of packaging waste. However, there hasn’t been the detailed research to identify precisely how that might be achieved. Through this project, we hope to establish, in the open environment as opposed to managed waste systems, what works and what doesn’t, in terms of the materials’ characteristics and effects.”

Recent updates from Plymouth show some new tech being implemented to track microplastics. Francesca De Falco, a research fellow on BIO-PLASTIC-RISK, 

posted pictures of new Py-GCxGC-TOFMS machines on location

, these machines use Pyrolysis (Py) in combination with Comprehensive Gas Chromatography (GCxGC) and Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (TOF-MS). While other analytic strategies are more commonly used, Py-GCxGC-TOFMS “requires minimal sample preparation and provides powerful chromatographic separation with high quality deconvoluted mass spectral data.

: “Fantastic to have this working, well done for all the hard work. This will add a new dimension to our

The Environmental Investigation Agency, a UK-registered charity that works on a range of environmental campaigns, is one of the leading organizations in the global plastics treaty process and domestic efforts to end plastic pollution in the environment.

A series of recent reports and thought-starters from the EIA and its collaborators over the years have laid out major problems with plastic use in the UK, and have considered in detail what a successful global plastic treaty would look like. 

For three years in a row, the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) and Greenpeace UK surveyed the major supermarkets and grocery retailers in the on their efforts to reduce plastic pollution. The full report of this effort, along with company scorecards, is available 

Some of EIA’s recommendations to plastics stakeholders included:

Addressing the drivers of single-use packaging

. Promote shorter supply chains and seasonal produce; ban excessive packaging used for marketing objectives

. Avoid false solutions involving non-conventional plastics (bio-based, biodegradable, compostable). In cases where biodegradable packaging must be used, it should be certified to British Standard EN 13432 and only sold in municipalities which have the appropriate industrial composting/anaerobic digestion facilities.

. Introduce requirements for suppliers to implement best practice measures to prevent plastic pellet loss, with third party auditing and reporting requirements. Ensure that certification to the Publicly Available Standard (PAS) on pellet loss, adopted in July 2021, is a universal obligation for all relevant actors in their supply chain.

Scorecard from Checking out on Plastics III 

Initial Considerations for a Plastics Treaty (2022)

"We have the tools, now let’s build the house."

Soon after the UNEA 5.2 Resolution, EIA provided their initial considerations of key paragraphs in the text of the resolution. EIA's briefing, which can be found in full here, considers two operative paragraphs of the treaty. The report concludes as follows:

"The adoption of UNEA Resolution 5/14 was a historic moment in international environmental policymaking. While the task at hand may seem daunting, a substantial body of work has already been undertaken in preparation for the negotiations, not least the discussions and research delivered by the Ad-hoc Open-Ended Expert Working Group on Marine Litter and Microplastics.

We are not starting from scratch and, in other instruments, have effective models from which to draw inspiration, particularly the Montreal Protocol which is widely considered the most successful MEA (multilateral environmental agreement) in the world."

Additionally, EIA's microsite on the plastics treaty can be found 

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