INC- 3 - Searious Business written statement

Dear INC Secretariat,

In response to the call from the INC secretariat to submit written statements following INC-2, Searious Business would like to provide the following input for contact group 1:

It is becoming recognised that in order to avoid plastic pollution, waste reduction plays an even bigger role than waste management. While proper waste management is a prerequisite and needs to be properly financed by producers, the most effective solutions must prioritise a reduction in production and consumption.

A cap on virgin plastic production (as in obligation 1)

The world must move away from fossil fuel extraction if we are to stay within the 1.5-degree Celsius limit. This must involve capping the use of fossil fuels for virgin plastic production. How can we begin to solve a problem that increases in magnitude every day? With populations continuing to grow and consumption rates rising, planetary boundaries will force us to stop if we don’t take action now. This must be done by removing subsidies from the oil industry and redirecting funds into the development of sustainable alternative materials and systems. Searious Business and Rotterdam University have been conducting research into alternative materials and plastics produced from non-fossil resources, such as CO2 emissions and green hydrogen. These innovative technologies will never gain ground while virgin plastic is allowed to proliferate unchecked.  

Tax virgin plastics

To reduce the volumes of virgin plastic produced and to create a level playing field for alternative materials and packaging systems such as reuse, virgin fossil-based resources, and, notably, virgin plastics must be financially penalised. By applying levies, we can move towards true pricing where the full environmental and social impact of the material is accounted for. This will influence both consumer and industrial behaviour, which has tended to view plastic as cheap and disposable. 

Limit polymer types and applications (as in obligation 1)

The current plastic landscape involves many types of polymers and countless combinations thereof, making recycling complicated and difficult to control. Problematic plastics which cannot be easily recycled should be phased out quickly, and specific unnecessary applications where leakage is common should be subsequent to banning. There are also many chemicals of concern involved, which should be eliminated immediately. The use of recyclable mono-materials should be rewarded through globally coordinated EPR schemes, as should the inclusion of recycled content.

Apply a maximum share of recycled plastics.

Plastic recycling in its current state is not effective enough. Collection is sporadic, separation techniques vary, and products are often not designed for the recycling system, if any exist, in their distribution region. Investment in recycling is lacking due to its unprofitability and lack of required uptake. As well as following global recycling design guidelines, producers must be mandated to include a maximum share of recycled material in their products. This market demand will stimulate investment in improved technology and encourage the transition away from virgin plastics. However, recycling is still a form of waste management, and we must focus on waste reduction and facilitate systemic change.

Encourage transition towards reusables (as in obligation 7)

In line with the waste hierarchy, reusable packaging has the greatest potential to reduce packaging waste as a whole. There must be a global transition towards the use of reusable packaging as the primary form of product delivery. We call for strong targets of at least 30% by 2030 across all sectors. This must be supported by clear guidelines for the design of products, minimum system requirements and behavioural change factors needed to ensure successful implementation and economic viability. Our study into the economics of reuse can be used to inform decision-makers on critical indicators for viable reuse systems. Our (EU) policy recommendations indicate that Reuse targets must also include performance parameters to ensure system capacity is optimised, economic incentives and legal certainty to create economies of scale. Global and national EPR systems must incorporate reuse but also allocate specific funds to facilitate the set-up and use of pooled infrastructure, particularly in less developed, lower-income countries. We are currently investigating the intersection of EPR and reuse across the globe with a view to developing specific policy recommendations. We would be pleased to share our findings with the committee.

Exclusion of tendentious parties

Greater cooperation is needed between businesses involved in the packaging industry and packaging users as they will be functional in the development and implementation of sustainable packaging and systems. However, their influence must be tighter controlled. Although the private sector is technically ineligible for accreditation to attend, in practice, there are several representatives present at the negotiations. There is a clear need and historical precedence for excluding incentivised parties during public-interest legislation, for example, the tobacco industry’s exclusion from (direct) involvement in anti-smoking policy development. To rectify this, we feel there should be stricter eligibility criteria for attendance, strategically excluding any organisation or individual involved in the extraction of fossil fuel hydrocarbons.

The talks must not be distracted into dealing with plastic pollution through the panacea of waste management. Cleaning up, collecting plastic waste, recycling it or using it for energy must be a last resort. Production needs to be capped, and reduction methods must be prioritised over increased circularity.

Yours Faithfully

Willemijn Peeters, CEO and Founder Searious Business