Plastic pellets are a major source of upstream plastic pollution globally, with devastating impacts to human and environmental health and livelihoods. The International Legally Binding Instrument on Plastic Pollution (also known as the UN Global Plastics Treaty) is an opportunity to end plastic pellet pollution across the world and throughout supply chains. The inclusion of plastic pellets (nurdles) in a final Global Plastics Treaty is essential to prevent more pellets entering the environment and it could allow for global uptake of working solutions.
Ahead of INC-3, a Zero Draft of a Global Plastics Treaty was published which included sections on plastic pellets. This document will be significant in negotiations and provide the basis for discussions toward a final treaty.
Our asks
NGOs are coming together to call on governments to deliver a robust treaty for pellets. Fidra, EIA and Fauna & Flora have developed a briefing outlining key asks to end pellet pollution:
Eliminate Pellet Loss: Eliminate plastic pellet loss through legally binding measures and effective guidance adopted by the Conference of the Parties (COP) which ensures that each Party obligates all pellet handlers and
operators across the pellet supply chain to meet international, standardised requirements for handling, packaging and transport of plastic pellets across the supply chain.
Verification and Reporting: Ensure the COP adopts legislation for mandatory verification of measures to prevent pellet pollution and transparent reporting mechanisms that detail all pellet losses and spills throughout the supply chain.
Remediation and Disaster Response: Enable the COP to develop and adopt guidelines, including pellet clean ups, disaster response protocols and equitable access to remediation in the event of pellet loss.
Compensation: Facilitate a financial mechanism for compensation that operationalises the Polluter Pays Principle with respect to terrestrial and marine pellet loss and spills.
Safe, Circular & Responsible Production: End overproduction of plastic and enable a transition to a safe and circular plastic economy through elimination of harmful chemicals and chemicals of concern and adopting
transparent identification and traceability of chemical additives across the plastic pellet lifecycle.
Pellet Meetings and Events at INC3
13th – 19th November 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya – The third round of negotiations (INC-3)
Thematic Side events that may include pellets:
- Tuesday 14th November: Session 2 – Oceans and the marine environment, including transport, ghost fishing gears, dumping , pellet loss and impacts on biodiversity
- Thursday 16th November: Session 7 – Microplastic: understanding the challenge and its impacts
The full programme can be found here
Side Meetings: Pellet Roundtable Discussion
Join Fauna and Flora, Fidra, EIA and friends to discuss pellet pollution and solutions
Chaired by James Wakibia
Meeting Topic – Zero Draft to Zero Pellet Loss
Date: 14 November 2023
Time: 15:15-16:30
Location: Observers Room INC-3 (Conference Room 14)
Webinars
Watch out latest webinar ‘What you need to know about plastic pellets at INC4’ below
Watch all past webinars here