The Global Plastics Treaty
Our goal is to end plastic pollution by 2040 through a circular economy where all plastics are responsibly managed during production, use, and end-of-life, enabling a climate-neutral plastics industry.
While plastics have had a history of innovation, particularly in supporting areas like healthcare and food preservation, plastic pollution is a growing crisis.
Responding to this, a United Nations resolution of March 2022 called for urgent action to end plastic pollution globally. It led to the creation of an intergovernmental negotiating committee (INC) to tackle this issue.
As governments and other key stakeholders gather in Busan this November for INC-5, the negotiations must be pursued with urgency and ambition.
The need to develop a circular economy for plastics is ever-pressing—a system that preserves natural resources and reduces waste while keeping valuable materials in use through more efficient production, design, use, reuse, and recycling.
Hence, creating a policy environment that enables circularity is indispensable in ending plastic pollution globally.
Circular Economy for Plastics
Plastics Europe publishes the 2024 edition of the “Circular Economy for Plastics – A European Analysis” report.
The newly released report is a contribution towards a better understanding of the circular economy for plastics, and its evolution over the years.
Our Policy Asks
13.5%
Circular plastics content in new products in 2022
26.9%
Plastics recycling rate in 2022
+15%
Increase of plastic waste incineration with energy recovery
25%
of plastic waste is still sent to landfill
The Plastics Transition
Plastics Europe and its members share societal concerns about the European plastics system’s contribution to climate change and the challenge of plastics waste, and the need to foster the sustainable use of plastics. Plastics remain irreplaceable for many applications and have a vital role to play in enabling the sustainability transitions and supporting the competitiveness of many sectors in Europe.
We call for ambitious measures and an enabling framework to facilitate a global transformation of the plastics system. An international legally binding instrument is an opportunity to enable circularity and end plastic pollution in the shortest period possible while protecting human health and the environment.
Virginia Janssens – Managing Director Plastics Europe
Production and lifecycle in Europe
The market size of the European plastics industry can be measured at different stages of the value chain
Click each item to learn more
Voices from Changemakers View more
I am confident technology wise. We still need to do a lot in the pre-treatment of waste.
Kim Ragaert
There’s a lot that we can do together.
Nicholas Kolesch
The plastics industry has said a lot about how it’s ready to move.
Willemijn Peeters
Plastic needs its place in the circular economy.
Werner Bosmans
Want to learn more?
Further information available here.