OPLN is proud to announce the UK Plastic Treaty Dialogues, in partnership with the UK Government via the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Over the last year, our Global Plastics Treaty Dialogues have reached thousands of stakeholders in the US, Indonesia, Malaysia, Ghana, Pakistan, and Chile. Now, the UK Plastic Treaty Dialogues will bring together stakeholders from all sectors to dialogue and share ideas on the next steps in ending plastic pollution in the UK and abroad.

The "Giant Plastic Tap" by artist Ben Von Wong illustrated the deluge of plastic pollution into the environment at UNEA 5.2 in Nairobi, Kenya.

In March 2022, the United Nations Environment Assembly voted in a Resolution to start negotiations on a treaty that will address the full lifecycle of plastic, "from source to sea.” Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), said the agreement is "the most important international multilateral environmental deal since the Paris climate accord."

With the UK Plastics Treaty Dialogues, we will see a fuller picture of how UK stakeholders plan to participate in this monumental deal.

Defra's Announcement:

“The UN Ocean Conference follows the fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly whereby the UK worked with international partners to secure a breakthrough on negotiations to kickstart a new legally binding treaty on plastic pollution. The UK is now partnering with OPLN to draw upon the world-class expertise of UK stakeholders to help shape this ambitious new international treaty through a series of UK Plastics Treaty Dialogues.”

Dave Ford, Founder of OPLN:

"We’re very excited to now be bringing these catalytic neutral convenings to a focused UK audience. Working closely with the negotiating team at DEFRA, we believe collaboration and dialogue is the only way to ensure this Treaty works for all. Every country and its businesses will be impacted by the treaty - from petrochemicals to consumer goods to fashion to food services. All voices must be heard."

Partnership Was Announced at UN Ocean Conference 2022

The initial announcement of the UK Plastics Treaty Dialogues came in a Monday event at UN Ocean Conference currently underway in Lisbon, Portugal. The panel was titled From Ambition to Action: Ending Plastic Pollution in All Environments, and was hosted by the Environmental Investigation Agency and Common Seas, with livestream support provided by OPLN.

The event encouraged representatives of governments, civil society, academia and business to gather together, make connections, and share views on essential elements for a successful agreement. Toward that end, Rebecca Pow MP, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, announced next steps for these stakeholders.

We call on those who work in UK government, civil society, business, academia, and more to join forces with OPLN and DEFRA in these Dialogues. Kindly forward this message to your UK colleagues, and check back with OPLN media soon for more updates and announcements.