Plenary Talk: The Basel Convention, Plastic Waste and the Circular Plastic Economy

On May 10, 2019, at the 14^th meeting of the Basel Convention Conference of the Parties (COP), participating nations agreed to add “plastic waste” to the list of “other wastes,” effective January 1, 2021. The addition of “plastic waste” to the Basel Convention means that the global trade in plastic waste will be regulated subject to the Convention’s protections requiring legitimate recycling, and a new Partnership in Plastic Waste will begin work on solutions. And even though the United States has never ratified the Basel Convention, the United States is directly impacted, as countries are now turning away U.S. shipments of plastic waste and sending it back.

With this global circular plastic economy, the flow of new plastic into commerce will be affected, impacting manufacturers and consumers alike. The global effort to adapt to a cradle-to-cradle plastic economy necessarily contemplates collective engagement by government, manufacturers, consumers and recyclers alike in order to fundamentally reform the global commerce of plastic, from historically contemplated abandonment to continuing use.

Implications reach beyond the consumer plastic industry. For example, as plastic demand declines, ethylene demand may also decline, impacting hydrocarbon markets and ultimately oil and gas production and investment. Also, EPA and state regulations governing solid waste recycling may provide assistance or challenges, depending upon governmental response to recycling approaches.

The 2019 Global Symposium on Waste Plastic will provide an excellent opportunity explore implications and solutions.