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This policy brief, produced by CIEL and IUCN, examines the compatibility of a proposed international treaty to end plastic pollution with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. It highlights how the international trade of plastic feedstocks, polymers, and waste accelerates the plastic crisis and serves as a mechanism for spreading micro- and nanoplastic pollution.

The report examines 93 unique plastic pollution reduction measures notified by nearly 70 WTO members. It finds that prohibitions on single-use plastics and import restrictions on plastic waste are the most common tools. The analysis highlights a lack of product diversity in current bans and suggests that WTO members could benefit from enhanced transparency, geographic expansion of successful measures, and the exploration of new thematic areas beyond common single-use items.

The document analyzes the scale and geographic distribution of the global plastics trade, which reached a value of at least $1.2 trillion in 2021. It categorizes trade into non-hidden, semi-hidden, and hidden flows, noting that official Harmonized System (HS) codes fail to capture significant volumes of embedded plastics and packaging. The analysis identifies China, the EU, and the US as dominant players and highlights the shift of plastic waste flows toward developing Asia-Pacific nations following China's import bans. The authors argue for updating HS classifications in the 2027 cycle to improve data on polymer types, recycled content, and chemicals of concern to support global efforts to end plastic pollution.

The report establishes a framework to categorize plastic products into 17 core groups based on their properties, use patterns, and pollution risks. It prioritizes these groups using a risk-based analysis (probability of environmental entry and resulting impact) and further classifies them into Class I (feasible for elimination or significant reduction by 2035) and Class II (requiring safe circulation and management). The findings suggest that while some single-use items and intentionally added microplastics can be eliminated, others—such as medical packaging and fishing gear—require management-focused controls due to technical or socioeconomic constraints.

The document analyzes how non-party trade provisions in existing MEAs, such as the Montreal Protocol and CITES, incentivize treaty ratification and prevent 'free-riding' by restricting trade with non-signatory states. It argues that a future plastics treaty should include similar trade bans or restrictions on polymers, additives, and plastic products to ensure effectiveness and a level playing field, while suggesting that the treaty's Secretariat be granted oversight authority to close implementation loopholes.

The document contends that the 'circular economy' concept has been co-opted by the plastics industry to justify continued production through a reliance on recycling and thermal processing. It argues that plastics are fundamentally linear due to their fossil fuel origins, toxic additives, and material degradation during recycling. The brief advocates for a global agreement that caps plastics production by 2025, eliminates hazardous chemicals, and prioritizes reuse and redesign over waste management.

The document outlines the interconnectedness of the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, air pollution, and unsustainable food systems. It argues that these issues are driven by fossil-fuel-based economic systems and excessive consumption, disproportionately affecting the poor. The guide advocates for a fundamental shift toward circular economies, regenerative agriculture, and a 'just transition' to protect the planet and ensure human rights to clean air and water.

The document outlines the interconnected nature of the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, air pollution, and unsustainable food systems. It argues that these issues are driven by fossil-fuel-based economic systems and over-consumption, disproportionately affecting the poor. The guide advocates for a fundamental shift toward circular economies, restorative agriculture, and social justice to protect the planet.

The document outlines the interconnected nature of the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, air pollution, and unsustainable food systems, arguing that these issues are rooted in excessive consumption and fossil-fuel-based economic models. It advocates for a radical shift toward circular economies, restorative agriculture, and social justice to protect the planet and its most vulnerable populations.

The document outlines the interconnectedness of the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and social injustice, arguing that current economic models based on overconsumption and fossil fuels are unsustainable. It calls for a fundamental shift toward circular economies, sustainable agriculture, and a 'just transition' that protects the most vulnerable populations. Key priorities include limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, restoring ecosystems, ensuring universal access to clean water and air, and redefining economic success beyond GDP.

The document outlines the interconnectedness of the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, pollution, and social injustice, arguing that the current fossil-fuel-based economic model is unsustainable. It calls for a fundamental shift toward circular economies, restorative agriculture, and a 'just transition' to protect the most vulnerable populations and the planet's life-support systems.

The document outlines the interconnected crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, air pollution, and unsustainable consumption, arguing that these are driven by fossil-fuel-based economic systems and excessive consumption. It calls for a fundamental shift toward circular economies, regenerative agriculture, and social justice to protect the planet and its most vulnerable populations.

The document outlines the interconnected crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, attributing them to fossil-fuel-based economic systems and excessive consumption. It advocates for a fundamental shift toward clean energy, sustainable agriculture, and circular economies, while emphasizing that environmental solutions must integrate social justice and the protection of the most vulnerable populations.

The document outlines the interconnected nature of the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and social injustice, arguing that current economic systems based on fossil fuels and mass consumption are unsustainable. It provides specific data on water scarcity, air pollution, and ecosystem collapse while advocating for a transition to clean energy, regenerative agriculture, and circular economies to protect the planet and its most vulnerable populations.

The document argues that the current ecological crisis—characterized by climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution—is rooted in overconsumption and fossil-fuel-based economic systems. It calls for a transition toward circular economies, regenerative agriculture, and a 'just transition' that prioritizes the rights of the poor, indigenous peoples, and future generations.

The report exposes how the used-clothing trade is used by the Global North to export plastic waste to Kenya. It estimates that over 300 million items of synthetic, unsellable clothing are exported to Kenya annually, leading to severe environmental pollution in the Nairobi River and at dumpsites like Dandora. The investigation highlights the failure of sorting at the source and the role of recycling companies that claim circularity while exporting waste. It recommends the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes, eco-design requirements, and a virgin plastic tax to curb overproduction and the export of synthetic waste.

The report exposes how the used-clothing trade from the EU and UK to Kenya is used to export plastic waste, with an estimated 307 million synthetic items becoming waste annually in Kenya. It highlights the failure of sorting processes, the role of recycling companies in exporting unsellable clothing, and the resulting pollution of Kenyan landfills and waterways.

The report reveals that a significant portion of second-hand clothing exported to Kenya consists of unusable synthetic fibers, effectively bypassing plastic waste export restrictions. In 2021, an estimated 307 million items of plastic-based clothing exported to Kenya were unusable waste. These items often end up in landfills, the Nairobi River, or are burned as fuel, releasing toxic fumes. The document criticizes the 'fast fashion' model and the lack of sorting at the source by EU and UK exporters, noting that some recycling companies signed onto sustainability initiatives are simultaneously exporting waste. It calls for global legislation, including extended producer responsibility and plastic taxes, to end the export of plastic clothing waste to the Global South.

The report reveals that a significant portion of second-hand clothing exported to Kenya consists of low-quality synthetic textiles that function as plastic waste. It estimates that up to 307 million synthetic textile items are shipped to Kenya annually, many of which end up in landfills, the Nairobi River, or are burned as fuel. The document argues that the 'fast fashion' business model relies on this irresponsible disposal and calls for comprehensive EU legislation, including Extended Producer Responsibility and plastic taxes, to hold brands accountable.

The report examines the 'blue corridors' of the Eastern Pacific Ocean, from the Bering Strait to the Antarctic Peninsula, highlighting how these migratory routes are essential for whale survival and ocean health. It details cumulative threats including ship strikes, fisheries bycatch, ghost gear, underwater noise, and climate change. The document advocates for the implementation of connected networks of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) to meet the global 30x30 target, while proposing specific regional initiatives like the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor (CMAR) and the Global Oceans Treaty (BBNJ) to protect whales in international waters.