SOUTH AFRICA – Cape Town is hosting inaugural in-person meeting of the Plastics Pacts Network, marking a historic gathering for participants to exchange insights and knowledge, propelling collaborative efforts to mitigate the global impact of plastic waste and pollution.
Convened by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the Waste and Resources Action Program (WRAP), the three-day intensive program brought together representatives from twelve of the thirteen Plastics Pact Network members.
This included Australia (also representing New Zealand and four Pacific islands), Canada, Chile, Colombia, India, Kenya, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, the UK, and the US.
The Plastics Pacts Network operates under a public/private partnership model or voluntary agreement, steering tangible action rooted in a comprehensive circular economy approach to plastics, integrating elimination and re-use within measurable targets.
Each pact independently addresses its unique regional situation across the packaging value chain, uniting key stakeholders such as major FMCG brands, packaging companies, producers, trade associations, NGOs, and governments.
Business signatories commit to science-based targets aimed at reducing their environmental impact through plastic use.
With over 800 major businesses enrolled in all thirteen Plastics Pacts, their combined impact spans an estimated 2.4 billion people, constituting 30% of the global population.
The network serves to interconnect national and regional initiatives, facilitating the implementation of solutions toward a global circular economy for plastic.
Harriet Lamb, CEO of WRAP, emphasized the urgency of addressing the pervasive issue of plastic contamination in the natural world.
Lamb called for a robust response through both regulatory measures and voluntary actions, welcoming the ongoing negotiations for the UN Global Plastics Treaty.
Lamb urged for an ambitious treaty in light of the pressing challenges posed by plastic pollution, notably observed with plastic infiltrating the bloodstreams of animals and fish.
The voluntary agreement embodied by the Plastics Pacts Network has been embraced by numerous nations ahead of the impending United Nations Global Treaty to combat plastic pollution, with the deadline set for 2024.
The Cape Town meeting also initiated preparations for the inaugural global report encompassing the entire pact network.
This report aims to showcase the collective impact achieved by all thirteen Plastics Pacts and will be published in anticipation of the next round of INC-4 (Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee) discussions for the Global Plastics Treaty framework, scheduled for April 2024 in Ottawa, Canada.
During INC-3, held in Nairobi, Kenya, in November 2023, global leaders faced criticism for exhibiting “zero ambition” by not establishing legally binding targets and timeframes regarding plastic production and reduction.
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