Global Plastics Treaty
The Global Plastics Treaty is a significant attempt to establish a legally binding agreement aimed at reducing and eliminating plastic pollution.
The decision to establish an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) was made in early 2021 during the fifth UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya.
The INC’s journey, beginning with an Ad Hoc Open-Ended Working Group meeting in Dakar, Senegal, in mid-2022, was followed by subsequent meetings in Uruguay, Paris, and Nairobi, with the fourth INC-4 in Canada in April this year.
The final INC-5 meeting in South Korea will continue to see active participation from the International Alliance of Waste Pickers (IAWP)
Importance of informal waste pickers
The informal waste and recovery sector (IWRS) is more than a minor player in worldwide municipal solid waste management systems.
According to the UN-Habitat’s Waste Wise Cities Tool (WaCT), the informal sector accounts for 80% of municipal solid waste recovery in many cities
However, as highlighted in the recent Leave No One Behind Report, strategies to reduce plastic pollution often neglect to effectively involve the recovery capacities, skills, and knowledge of the IWRS
The IAWP, a vocal participant in the UNEA Plastic Treaty process, emphasises the importance of supporting the formalisation and integration of informal waste pickers into discussions on addressing plastics.
It also advocates including waste pickers’ perspectives and solutions at every stage of policy and law implementation.
India's perspective
As a key representative from the Global South, India promotes an approach that enhances repair, reuse, refill, and recycling without necessarily eliminating the use of plastics altogether.
India has also stressed the importance of adopting country-specific circumstances and capacities.
Hence, India’s informal waste pickers, who are indispensable, remain central to the discussion.
We, therefore, need to rethink the formulation of our Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) norms and raise questions on how to integrate this informal worker cohort into the new legal framework.
Way forward
As the final round of negotiations for the Global Plastics Treaty approaches the INC-5, a key question remains — on how a global instrument to end plastic pollution can enable a just transition for nearly 15 million people who informally collect and recover up to 58% of global recycled waste, thereby shaping a sustainable future.
By incorporating their perspectives and ensuring their livelihoods are protected, the treaty can embody social justice and equity principles while leaving no one and no place behind.
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