New international agreement on plastic scrap trade

Runa Lindebjerg

By GRID-Arendal

June 7^th, 2019

In May this year, the governments of 187 countries agreed to adopt an amendment to address certain plastic wastes under the Basel Convention in order to combat the dangerous effects of plastic pollution around the world.

The new amendment, focusing on Annexes II, VIII and IX, specifies the criteria for determining wastes to be controlled under the Convention and the scope of such wastes. Contaminated, mixed or non-recyclable plastic waste will now require prior consent from receiving countries before they are traded. This is an important improvement from today’s practice where emerging economies receive large amounts of scrap plastic that they cannot manage. This has not only been a concern for receiving countries, but also for entrepreneurs and companies running waste facilities in exporting countries.

Trade in plastic waste has developed into a global industry that has not been controlled by international regulations. After China banned its import of plastic waste in the beginning of 2018, developing countries, particularly in South East Asia, have received a huge influx of contaminated and mixed plastic wastes that were difficult or not possible to recycle. With increased production and consumption of plastic, the environmental and human risks have become enormous.

Norway proposed changes in the agreement that aimed to provide countries the right to refuse unwanted or unmanageable plastic waste. The proposal initiated a week-long negotiation about plastic entries under the Convention. In record time, Parties to the Convention agreed that clean and sorted plastic waste can be easily traded, while mixed and low-grade plastics require notification or prior informed consent procedures in place between exporting and importing countries.

GRID-Arendal supported Norway’s efforts and published a Policy Brief titled “Controlling Transboundary Trade in Plastic Waste” to provide Convention delegates with the most recent data and knowledge on the issue of transboundary plastic wastes. The Policy Brief was presented during a side event on 6 May that was jointly organized by the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment and GRID-Arendal to inform delegates about the proposal and the challenges faced by receiving countries.

A graphic in the Policy Brief prepared by GRID-Arendal shows how plastic scrap is exported from developed countries to emerging economies, and the impacts of this trade to the environment and human health.

The side event brought together government officials, business leaders and representatives of grassroots organizations to discuss the growing plastic pollution crisis. Speakers from China, Malaysia, Indonesia, the United States, and the European Union talked about the environmental, economic and health risks that local communities in receiving countries face. They also offered their views about possible ways forward for better governance and control of the plastic trade.