The world’s framework for global plastic waste governance
Moving waste safely across boundaries is a crucial task. It must be done with the utmost care and responsibility, keeping communities and our planet safe. It is therefore essential that international frameworks are in place to set standards on waste management and drive safety and circularity.
The Basel Convention, adopted in 1989, is one cornerstone of this system.
A decision in 2019 unanimously adopted the Plastic Waste Amendments, expanding the scope of the convention and making it the only global legally binding instrument to specifically address plastic waste.
These amendments set the precedent on how parties regulate plastic waste, including recycling and disposal operations and their related technologies, while also tightening restrictions on international trade in plastic waste with the aim of reducing improper disposal and leakage in seas and on land.[3]
When waste is not managed in an environmentally safe manner, people and planet pay the price."
At the World Plastics Council, we recognise the Basel Convention as one of our three strategic priorities, alongside the Global Plastics Treaty and Operation Clean Sweep.
Our aim is to engage constructively to support its implementation and improve global circularity linked to the movements of waste across borders. Recently, our contribution to the Basel Convention has centred around three initiatives:
Created in partnership with the Ocean Recovery Alliance, this report assesses the role of recycling technologies in tackling plastic pollution. It also offers a data-driven analysis of how these technologies can help reduce plastic pollution.
Read the full report and explore key insights and recommendations.
In April, we co-organised a webinar with Ocean Recovery Alliance that explored how alignment between the Basel Convention and the UN Plastics Treaty could advance the global circularity of plastic. Among the many key themes and takeaways, some important messages included the need to harmonise frameworks that will enable responsible trade, unlock investment for a competitive and clean future, and support circularity. Watch the full webinar below.
In May 2025, in Geneva, we co-hosted a side event alongside Ocean Recovery Alliance at COP-17 about facilitating global circularity of plastic feedstock with standardised, verified, and trusted trade procedures. The event emphasised a key concept: the deep interconnectivity between the Basel Convention and the Global Plastics Treaty. This is especially so when it comes to enabling the circular trade of feedstock by redefining waste, standardising definitions, and promoting reliable recycling systems.
At the close of COP-17 in May of this year, governments from around the world took a significant step forward. They adopted a crucial amendment to Annex IV, which increases the legal clarity as to what qualifies as waste under the Basel Convention. At WPC, we are dedicated to remaining actively engaged and making useful contributions as implementation is carried out and a new agenda with a broader scope begins to take shape.
