According to Virginia Janssens, Managing Director, Plastics Europe,
“Whilst significant differences remain, we welcome the willingness of the different parties to engage in a constructive and open way, and that all opinions were heard and respected at INC-3 in Nairobi.
Unfortunately, INC-3 was not the significant step towards creating a circular economy and ending plastic pollution we were hoping for. Despite this setback, we would urge everyone, including our industry and Governments, to take on board the lessons from Nairobi and redouble our efforts. We need to work even more closely together to find solutions in the run-up to INC-4.
Following the “zero draft”, which was the starting point for the Nairobi negotiations, we hoped that the INC-3 negotiators could deliver on the need to focus on circularity, including structural measures to promote sustainable production and consumption, as well as recycling.
This is because transitioning from a linear to a circular plastic system, in which all plastic applications are reused, recycled, and responsibly managed during and after use, is key to tackling the problem of plastic waste. At the same time, circularity will reduce GHG emissions, and enhance economic development and job creation, especially in the global South.