Next week, (22nd to 28th September) is Recycling Week, organised in the UK by The Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP). It follows on from the latest round of negotiations held in Geneva by the ‘Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty’, during which delegates from 170 countries attempted to finalise a global treaty that will brings plastics into a circular economy, stopping them from becoming waste or pollution. I’m saddened that negotiations didn’t made as much headway as had been hoped, since while recycling covers a great deal more than just plastics, these particular pollutants play a major part in our global waste problem as they’re everywhere we look – and despite everyone realising in recent decades the damage they’re doing to our bodies and our environment, very little seems to be being done about finding alternatives and dealing effectively with what’s already in the system. Drop paper litter and it will eventually become wet and soggy and either break down or be trodden into the ground; drop a plastic bottle or packaging and it’s not going to disappear until someone bothers to remove it. And then what will become of it? 

  

The Convention’s organisers say that while progress was made towards tackling plastic pollution and capturing the economic benefits that effective harmonised regulation would bring, there was “insufficient certainty” to be able to move any further forward. There was, though, “increased clarity” on globally harmonised regulations across the full lifecycle of plastics and by the alignment among some 100-plus countries on the key elements  - including phase-outs, product design, and Extended Producer Responsibility. As Tove Andersen, president and CEO, waste & recycling specialist TOMRA notes: "The value chains for production, consumption and handling of plastics after use are international in nature, and a global treaty would be the absolute best way to tackle the massive challenges to nature, health and the climate that unregulated use of plastic represents. Today, only 9% of plastics is recycled.” 

  

Through the Plastics Pact Network, co-convened with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, WRAP’s already delivering treaty-aligned progress. Active in more than a dozen countries, the Network’s eliminating problematic plastics, scaling reuse models and building circular systems tailored to local circumstances. It’s a proven, adaptable model that demonstrates how coordinated, cross-sector action can accelerate global solutions. During the Convention, the two hosted an event featuring Plastics Pact leaders and business representatives from India, Chile and the Pacific Islands. It showcased how locally grounded, globally connected action is already delivering measurable results - and what's needed to scale these efforts under a global treaty framework. I sincerely hope that this was enough to show the decision-makers in attendance, what can be done with adequate commitment and the necessary investment. Our heavy dependence on plastics has caused a growing pollution problem that’s been ignored by too many of us for far too long. Urgent action has to be taken before it’s too late. We can't keep messing about.