Businesses unite for a once-in-a-lifetime, 'Global Plastics Treaty'

We work with 300+ organizations in the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty.

While voluntary actions have shown promise in driving change, they will not solve plastic pollution on their own. Business wants harmonized regulation that can tackle the entire lifecycle of plastic products. This is why we have joined more than 300 organizations in the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty, convened by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and World Wildlife Fund, to advocate for a legally binding, ambitious treaty that tackles the entire lifecycle of plastic products. Businesses need a level playing field, one that inspires, supports, and holds accountable each of the 300 organizations, equally.

There is an unprecedented agreement across the plastics value chain on several realistic and achievable globally binding rules, which can and should underpin an effective treaty. We have no time to waste, our collective ambition is critical to success – UN member state governments have agreed to 'end plastic pollution.' We must not settle for a treaty that falls short of delivering this goal.

The Business Coalition has developed a roadmap to guide negotiations called, 'Treaty on a Page.' Additional policy positions are available in the policy section of the Business Coalition website.

Nestlé is proud to co-chair the Policy Working group of the Business Coalition.

The Business Coalition's vision is: global outcomes necessary for success

To achieve the Business Coalition’s vision of a circular economy for plastic, we believe that progress must be achieved in three critical areas:

1. Reduction of plastic production and circular economy approach

It includes plastics that have high leakage rates, are short-lived, and/or made of fossil-based virgin resources. For example:

Eliminate plastic materials, components or additives that materially hinder recyclability or compostability, or have a high risk of leaking into nature
Move away from single-use plastics in favor of reusable and more durable solutions whenever scale solutions exist and is technically and financially possible, reducing overall material consumption and environmental impact
Substitute with alternative materials if they can be effectively circulated in practice and at scale, and demonstrate reduced environmental impacts

2. Circulation of all non-eliminated plastic items at their highest value in the economy

It includes plastic items that cannot be eliminated. For example:

Design products and systems for all plastics to be reused, recycled, or composted in practice and at scale
Accelerate the uptake of new business and delivery models at scale that reduce the need for single-use and short-lived applications
Mobilise sufficient, and dedicated public and private funding for infrastructure and systems to collect, sort, and recycle plastics
Increase the volume and quality of recycled plastics that can be used in a broad range of uses
Transition away from landfill, towards implementing locally relevant solutions over time

3. Prevention and remediation of remaining, hard-to-abate micro and macro packaging leakage into the environment

It includes robust waste management practices and tackling legacy pollution. For example:

Strengthen waste management governance and infrastructure to improve practices for safe disposal of all plastic that cannot be eliminated or circulated
Establish and improve collection systems to enhance collection rates
Prevent the release of microplastics into the environment from, for example, abrasion, fibre shedding or pellet loss
Coordinate global efforts to address the damage caused by ongoing and legacy plastic pollution, protecting the most affected and vulnerable communities and ecosystems

Key terms explained

Recyclable
As defined in the Ellen McArthur Foundation reporting guideline definitions, a packaging or packaging component is recyclable if it is successfully post-consumer collected, sorted and recycled with a recycling rate of 30% in multiple regions, collectively representing more than 400 million inhabitants.

Reusable
Following ISO 18603, reusable is the characteristic of a product or packaging that has been conceived and designed to accomplish within its lifecycle a certain number of trips, rotations or uses for the same purpose for which it was conceived. The weight of reusable packaging is defined by the total weight of reusable packaging, divided by the number of expected rotations over the entire life of the package.

Compostable
According to ISO 18606, a material is considered compostable (whether suitable for home or industrial composting) when, through microbial activity, its biodegradable components break down to form compost as well as naturally occurring gases and water under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions.

Business needs global rules

Ahead of the fourth round of negotiations in April of 2024, the Business Coalition has released a video on why business needs global rules:

Business Coalition leaders: speaking up for a treaty

In advance of the third round of negotiations in November 2023, CEOs and regional CEOs of Borealis, Danone, Henkel, Nestlé, Okeanos, PepsiCo, The Coca Cola Company, Ternova, TOMRA, and Unilever called for a legally binding treaty that creates a level playing field for entire industries – avoiding a patchwork of disconnected national efforts.