United Nations negotiators meeting this week in Nairobi have agreed on a roadmap for a global plastic treaty that would address plastic production and design in what delegates said was a key step to agreeing on an ambitious deal.
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Going into the summit, the main sticking points were whether any agreement would be legally binding or voluntary and if it would address plastic production and single-use packaging design or be confined to improving waste management and recycling.
The draft text, titled: "End plastic pollution: Towards an internationally legally binding instrument," was finalized by technical experts in the early hours of Monday morning after a week of late-night negotiations. Government ministers and high-level officials joined the talks on Monday and were set to give final approval to the framework on Wednesday.
If approved, the draft would be a setback for powerful oil and chemicals companies that manufacture plastic and had been working behind the scenes in an effort to keep talks focused on waste. The draft resolution also recommended the treaty promote the sustainable design of plastic packaging so it can be reused and recycled, which would be significant for big consumer goods companies that sell their goods in single-use packaging.
