News

Collaborating to Accelerate a Circular Economy – 
How a Global Agreement Can Unleash Innovation and Accelerate Circularity

Ahead of the INC-2 meeting on a global Agreement on plastic pollution, the World Plastics Council (WPC) hosted an event on “Collaborating to Accelerate a Circular Economy – How a Global Agreement Can Unleash Innovation and Accelerate Circularity” in Paris.

Ahead of the INC-2 meeting on a global Agreement on plastic pollution, the World Plastics Council (WPC) hosted an event on “Collaborating to Accelerate a Circular Economy – How a Global Agreement Can Unleash Innovation and Accelerate Circularity” in Paris.

The event brought together senior representatives from UNEP and the European Commission, as well as government officials from Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore, Sweden, and high-level company executives.

It covered a number of key topics including: the role of the plastics industry in addressing plastic waste; the opportunity and challenges faced in accelerating the transition to circularity; how to provide 3 billion additional people with access to waste management systems; and measures to ensure appropriate health and safety oversight for recycled plastics.

Benny Mermans, Chair of the WPC, said that: “The Agreement provides a unique opportunity to reframe the way we produce, redesign, reuse, and recycle plastics, while building a circular economy model that will work for every country.”

He also emphasised that the plastics industry has an important role to play in reducing additional plastic waste and increasing circularity and considers itself a key enabler and willing partner in developing a robust and implementable global Agreement.

There was a wide-ranging discussion and different perspectives shared on the challenges and how best to tackle the problem of plastics pollution. These included the need to ensure that the Agreement takes into account different national circumstances, the importance of ensuring a just transition for workers and vulnerable communities, and engaging financial institutions, particularly in relation to developing countries.

Industry speakers, for example, highlighted the innovations that are already helping to transform the plastics system, and addressed the enabling framework required to increase innovation and investment in circularity.

In closing the event, Benny Mermans stressed the importance of finding a common purpose and greater collaboration amongst all stakeholders if we are to accelerate the much-needed change.