The Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) is proud to announce its commitment to support efforts towards ending plastic pollution worldwide by signing the Bridge to Busan Declaration. As a signatory to this landmark declaration, BIR aligns itself with other members of the UN Plastic Treaty’s intergovernmental negotiating committee (INC), advocating for the development of a legally binding international instrument to tackle plastic pollution.
Why is this important?
The Bridge to Busan Declaration highlights the urgency of addressing the entire plastic lifecycle, including the unsustainable production of virgin plastic polymers. This aligns with BIR’s long-held position that combatting plastic pollution requires full transparency across the plastic value chain, to increase recycling rates and enable a circular and sustainable economy.
What are the next steps?
Focusing solely on waste management is insufficient to meet the ambitious goals of reducing plastic pollution. By supporting a legally binding international framework, BIR advocates for:
- Full transparency throughout the plastic value chain
- A more sustainable primary plastic production rate, proportionate to the vision of a circular economy for plastics
- Requirements for sustainable product design and recycled content targets
- Restrictions on hazardous chemical additives in primary plastic polymer production
Looking Ahead:
The 5th meeting of the INC will take place in Busan, Korea from 25 November to 1 December. It is due to be the last gathering of the INC before the Diplomatic Conference of the Plenipotentiaries to sign the treaty. The INC5 will aim at completing its work on the legally binding instrument by the end of that session, although there is still a lot of progress to be made on refining the Treaty text.
BIR remains dedicated to working with stakeholders across the plastics value chain to ensure a sustainable future for plastics globally.
