Plastic pellets are a major source of upstream plastic pollution globally, with devastating impacts to human health, the environment 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 globe 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 the global uptake of working solutions.
The fourth round of negotiations for a treaty took place in Ottawa, Canada from 23rd-29th April 2024.
Ahead of INC-4, a revised Zero Draft of a Global Plastics Treaty was published, which includes sections on plastic pellets. This document is significant in the INC4 negotiations and discussions toward a final treaty.
Our asks
NGOs are coming together to call on governments to deliver a robust treaty which addresses plastic pellets. Fidra, EIA and Fauna & Flora have developed a briefing outlining key asks to end pellet pollution:
Eliminate 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 full 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 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 INC4
24th April 13:30EDT – Side Event: ‘Plastic pollution in the marine environment’
Webinars
Watch our latest webinar ‘The Global Plastics Treaty: What you need to know about plastic pellets at INC-4’ below.
Watch all past webinars here