PETCORE EUROPE attends Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) this week in Ottawa.
In 2023 PETCORE EUROPE has been granted an accreditation as Observer to the United Nations Environment Assembly and its subsidiary organs. This accreditation allows PETCORE EUROPE to receive invitations to all public meetings and sessions of the United Nations Environment Assembly and actively participate in negotiations or stakeholders’ sessions (e.g. UN Global Plastics Treaty).
This week, from 23 to 29 April 2024, United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) will host the discussion so called INC 4 (Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee) in Ottawa, Canada, aiming to define a global Treaty to reduce plastic pollution.
PETCORE EUROPE is participating in INC 4 in Ottawa, where it represents the PET value chain voice in designing the future without plastic pollution. PETCORE EUROPE’s position is based on the following 3 pillars:
1. Design for recycling: to promote the circular economy, the instrument should contain an obligation to implement design for recycling requirements. Negotiating parties should leverage well-defined existing guidelines, such as the European PET Bottles Platform (EPBP) design guidelines for recycling.
2. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes for packaging: EPR schemes at the national level with eco-modulated fees are needed to promote circularity and sustainable product design. Parties should agree on an obligation to implement EPR regulations based on a clearly defined scope of covered materials.
3.Avoidable and problematic applications of plastics: avoidable or problematic applications of plastic should be minimized to promote the feasibility and economics of waste management systems. The instrument should establish global criteria-based provisions to identify and address avoidable and problematic plastic applications at the country level. These criteria should consider the environmental impact of alternatives and specific local needs as well as the waste hierarchy - prioritizing prevention, resource efficiency, reuse, recycling, and recovery.