Plastic Treaty Task Force
Mission and Goals
- Contribute to a clear, comprehensive and ambitious plastic pollution treaty
- Establish dialogue and collaboration with other actors in the field of circular economy
- Contribute to positioning ISWA as a global player with knowledge of solutions related to the triple planetary crisis
- Support the waste and resources management sector to be a key enabler in implementing the practical actions of the treaty.
- Nurture and incentivise engagement of ISWA members in the process and outcomes. Advocating for a life cycle approach as a guiding principle.
Project objectives
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Coordinate ISWA’s role as a stakeholder in the treaty negotiations.
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Activating ISWA’s network to synthetize ISWAs policy recommendations and experiences on the on the key elements of the treaty.
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Establish a dialogue between waste and resource management actors and engage with other stakeholders.
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Initiate awareness raising, learning and preparations among ISWA’s members for the treaty implementation.
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Communicate and share ISWA’s knowledge base and positions in the process to ISWA members and external audiences.
Background
In March 2022, during the United Nations Environmental Assembly (UNEA), UN Member States agreed unanimously on a resolution with the mandate to negotiate a legally binding global instrument to end plastic pollution.
Following the initiative, they have established a special Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) which will be responsible for negotiating and implementing a legally binding agreement by 2024. The committee will gather twice a year.
The UNEA resolution includes specific references to the circular economy, life-cycle approach, sustainable production, and consumption. ISWA, as the global waste management and circular economy organisation is therefore an essential voice in the process of establishing and implementing the agreement. An instrument such as the plastic treaty will create a baseline for waste management, recycling and design practices for plastic products. It is also likely that it will push even further and drive forward the circular economy. This scenario results in a great opportunity for ISWA to spearhead the waste management sector’s advocacy efforts in this process to increase its effectiveness and success
ISWA’S Active Contributions
ISWA is proud to be actively involved in the INC process by following the sessions of the intergovernmental negotiating committee that will define the structure and instruments of the treaty.
Following ISWA’s position paper on Plastics Pollution, issued as a contribution to UNEA 5.2 in February 2022, ISWA prepared key messages for each meeting, but will also follow up and engage in the discussion throughout the whole negotiation process until 2025.
Carlos Silva Filho representing ISWA at the Multi-Stakeholder Forum, in conjunction with the first meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-1) in Punta Del Este, Uruguay
Recaps: INC over the years
From Wasteful Systems to Circularity: Spotlight on Waste Management at UNOC 2025
At the 2025 UN Ocean Conference, the side event “Spotlight on the Land to Sea Continuum to Protect...
The Plastics Treaty at a Crossroads.
Break the Plastic Pollution Cycle: An Urgent Call for Action in the Plastic Treaty Negotiations
The International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) is an accredited observer to the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on Plastic Pollution, and has actively contributed scientific, practical and evidence-based insights to support the development of a robust and implementable treaty since the adoption of UNEA Resolution 5/14 in 2022.
For INC-5.2, ISWA reinforced these foundations by calling for action on four fronts: addressing problematic plastics and advancing circular design, preventing leakage through sound plastic waste collection and containment, strengthening plastic waste management systems, and financing the transition and scaling up implementation.
Ahead of Geneva - Steering Towards a Global Agreement on Plastic Pollution
Since the adoption of UNEA Resolution 5/14 in 2022, ISWA has actively participated in
every session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC), providing
scientific, practical, and evidence-based insights to support the development of a robust
and implementable treaty.
This position paper presents ISWA’s reflections on the Chair’s text concluded at INC-5.1,
focusing on four priority areas: circular product design, leakage prevention, effective
waste management, and financing mechanisms. Alongside this paper, ISWA is also
releasing a technical note, EPR in the Plastic Treaty: A Road Map for Policy and
Commitment, developed in response to requests from national delegates seeking clear
guidance on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) systems.
EPR in the Plastic Treaty: A Practical Roadmap for Policy and Commitment
As negotiations progress toward an international, legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, many national focal points have called for clear and practical guidance on how to establish Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) systems.
In response, the ISWA Working Group on Governance and Legal Issues (WGGLI) has developed this technical note as an introductory roadmap outlining key steps and success factors for
designing and implementing effective EPR schemes that can fulfil their potential in combating
plastic pollution.
Key Messages Issued as a contribution to Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5)
Key Elements to Beat Plastic Pollution: Towards a Legally Binding Instrument
A report launched on the margins of INC-2 in May 2023, Paris.
Global Initiatives to Beat Plastic Pollution
According to the Global Waste Management Outlook 2024, jointly launched by ISWA and UNEP, waste generation is growing at a fast pace and if the current trend is maintained, the amount of waste will almost double by 2050. Access to waste collection services varies significantly within and between regions and still, 38% of municipal solid waste ends in inadequate sites or is openly burned. Plastics are one of the most visible parts of it and plastic pollution is a global concern with significant environmental and economic impacts.
As a contribution to the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution, in Ottawa, Canada in April 2024, ISWA’s Plastic Treaty Task Force released this compilation of case studies showcasing diverse initiatives to address plastic waste management challenges across different regions.
ISWA at INC: Photo Gallery
2022 – present
GET INVOLVED
To aid ISWA’s active participation in defining the treaty, ISWA invites members to join the ISWA Task Force on Plastic Pollution, in one or all of the following ways:
1. Stay informed about the Task Force and the INC process
2. Engage in the Task Force as an active member
3. Sponsor the Task Force financially
Get in touch with ISWA via the button below and let us know how you would like to contribute!
Another way to be actively and instantly involved in ISWA’s contributions to the INC process is by advocating for our submissions and messages with the national focal point in your country. The delegates of each country will be the negotiators in the INC process.
You can find their contact details here, and all relevant files downloadable here.