Break Free From Plastic

Lagos, Nigeria — A nationwide plastic brand audit conducted across eight Nigerian cities by Break Free From Plastic (BFFP) and the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) has identified multinational beverage companies and single-use plastic producers as the largest contributors to Nigeria’s worsening plastic pollution crisis.

The report examined 298,174  pieces of plastic waste collected during community clean-up exercises in Osogbo, Jos, Ughelli, Warri, Port Harcourt, Lagos, Uyo, and Benin City. The findings show that sachets, plastic bottles, bags, and wrappers dominate Nigeria’s waste stream. 

Nigeria produces an estimated 2.5 million metric tonnes of plastic waste every year, yet only a small fraction is recycled. In Lagos alone, plastic waste is a major cause of blocked drains, contributing to flooding that costs the state billions of dollars in annual damage.

The audit found that sachet packaging, commonly used for water and beverages, was the most common plastic waste item identified, followed closely by plastic bottles. Plastic bags and wrappers ranked third and fourth. Despite their popularity due to affordability, sachets are single-use, non-recyclable, and remain in the environment for hundreds of years. An estimated 60 million water sachets are discarded daily in Nigeria, totalling over 20 billion annually.

The audit identified Coca-Cola and PepsiCo as the leading multinational companies linked to plastic pollution across the audited cities. Other major contributors include Nestlé, Rite Foods, CWAY Group, and several local table-water producers.

“These findings confirm what communities have long known — plastic pollution in Nigeria is not caused by poor people, but by corporate practices that prioritise profit over the environment,” explains Weyinmi Okotie, GAIA/BFFP Africa Clean Air Program Manager.

While Nigeria has made policy commitments to tackle plastic pollution, including the National Policy on Plastic Waste Management, new regulations targeting single-use plastics, and a ban on single-use plastics in government offices, enforcement across the country remains uneven and slow. At the state level, Lagos, Oyo, Abia, and Anambra States have announced or begun enforcing bans on certain single-use plastics, with Lagos implementing the strictest measures to date. 

• Nigeria’s federal and state governments should shift from voluntary commitments to enforceable plastic regulations by supporting binding global and national plastic production-reduction targets compatible with climate boundaries under the new global plastics treaty.
• Enforce Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)  standards that are national, mandatory and strengthened to integrate waste pickers and other waste workers; mandates that producers and importers assume full financial responsibility for all costs associated with plastic waste management; are piloted and regulated by governments and above all, respect the waste hierarchy prioritising reduction and reuse. 
• Corporations in the country must stop greenwashing and reduce plastic production by investing in reuse and refill systems and safer alternatives.
• We call on Civil society and researchers to continue exposing polluters, supporting waste pickers, and providing evidence-based solutions.

“The plastic crisis in Nigeria is driven by a throwaway culture fueled by the fossil fuel industry. Delay is no longer an option. Corporate profit must never come before public health and environmental safety. Polluters must be held accountable, and strong regulations must be defended,” adds Weyinmi.

The Nigerian Plastic Brand Audit Report were jointly developed by: Green Knowledge Foundation (GKF); Centre for Earth Works (CfEW); Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADeV); Community Development Advocacy Foundation (CODAF); Pan African Vision for the Environment (PAVE); Sustainable Environment Development Initiative (SEDi); Policy Alert; Community Action Against Plastic Waste (CAPws); Lekeh Development Foundation (LEDEF); Ecocykle Development Foundation; and the Association of Waste Pickers of Lagos (ASWOL).

The initiative was carried out under the BFFP & GAIA movement in Africa. 

ENDS

BFFP Africa: Masego Mokgwetsi - masego@breakfreefromplastic.org 

GAIA Africa: Ibrahim Khalilulahi Usman - khalil@no-burn.org 

GAIA: GAIA is a global network of grassroots groups, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and individuals, in over 90 countries. The organisation envisions a just, zero-waste world built on respect for ecological limits and community rights, where people are free from the burden of toxic pollution, and resources are sustainably conserved, not burned or dumped. GAIA works to catalyse a global shift towards environmental justice by strengthening grassroots social movements that advance solutions to waste and pollution. www.no-burn.org 

BFFP: The #BreakFreeFromPlastic (BFFP) Movement is a global movement envisioning a future free from plastic pollution. Since its launch in 2016, more than 12,000 organisations and individual supporters from across the world have joined the #BreakFreeFromPlastic movement to demand massive reductions in single-use plastics and to push for lasting solutions to the plastic pollution crisis. www.breakfreefromplastic.org

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 5 July 2025

1. We, the undersigned Members of Parliament, civil society organizations, and environmental justice advocates from across Southeast Asia, gathered in Kuala Lumpur on 4–5 July 2025 for the regional workshop “The Impact of Plastic Pollution on Human Rightsˮ, co-organized by the Break Free From Plastic (BFFP) Asia-Pacific Coordination Team and ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), alongside members of the BFFP movement across the region.
2. We met with a shared commitment: to defend the right of all peoples in Southeast Asia to a safe, clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, and to collectively confront one of the regionʼs most urgent and neglected crises—the human rights impacts of plastic pollution and transboundary plastic waste trade.
3. We recognize that the entire life cycle of plastics—from extraction and production to consumption, disposal, and transboundary trade—has become a systemic threat to human rights, public health, and environmental integrity. The impacts of this crisis are disproportionately borne by waste pickers and other workers in the informal recycling value chain, Indigenous peoples, women, children, and marginalized coastal and rural [related to Session 1]
4. The continued transboundary trade in plastic waste—often disguised as recycling—has enabled countries of the Global North to shift their environmental burdens onto Southeast Asia. Despite national bans and international obligations under the Basel Convention, countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Thailand remain hotspots for waste dumping and toxic exposure. [related to Session 3]
5. While we appreciate the existing regional progress through declarations and frameworks, including The ASEAN Framework of Action on Marine Debris (2019), The Bangkok Declaration on Marine Debris (2019), Framework for Circular Economy for the ASEAN Economic Community (2021), The ASEAN Regional Action Plan on Marine Debris (2021–2025), and The ASEAN Declaration on Plastic Circularity (2024); these instruments are non-binding and lacking in human rights They make no mention of the right to a healthy environment, the disproportionate impact of plastic pollution on vulnerable groups, the risks faced by environmental defenders, or the need for transparency and public participation. [related to Session 2]
6. Furthermore, the forthcoming ASEAN Declaration on the Right to a Safe, Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment (2025)—a potentially transformative milestone in recognizing environmental rights as human rights — fails to explicitly link environmental rights to plastic pollution, marine litter, and transboundary waste trade. [opening session]
7. At the same time, at the global level, negotiations on a legally binding Global Plastics Treaty present a critical window for ASEAN member states to champion ambitious, justice-oriented measures. Yet, ASEAN lacks a unified, ambitious negotiating stance despite the dire consequences of plastic pollution in the region, or a formal process to engage parliamentarians and civil society in shaping its position. [related to Session 2]

We therefore declare the following shared commitments and recommendations:

8. Reaffirm plastic pollution as a human rights It endangers the rights to health, clean water, food, work, and a safe environment. ASEAN must treat plastic governance as a human rights imperative—not merely an environmental or waste management concern.

9. Call on ASEAN [Foreign Ministers] and its Member States to:

• Develop a Regional Action Plan on plastic pollution and plastic waste trade, grounded in environmental justice, gender equity, and human rights.
• Harmonize and enforce regulations on transboundary plastic waste imports, holding violators accountable.
• Enact a regional ban on plastic waste imports, accompanied by clear phase-down timelines, robust enforcement mechanisms, and alternatives to promote and enhance domestic waste collection for national and regional circular
• Urge ASEAN to ban plastic waste imports and develop a regional agreement on transboundary plastic waste management that is environmentally sound and socially just.
• Provide legal and physical protection for environmental defenders, waste workers, and local leaders who face intimidation, harassment, or criminalisation.
• Guarantee public access to environmental information, including corporate data on plastic production, waste flows, and pollution
• Institutionalize inclusive participation of civil society, national human rights institutions (NHRIs), Indigenous communities, and parliamentarians in environmental policy processes.

10. Call on the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) to:

• Include transboundary plastic pollution and waste trade into the Regional Plan of Action (RPoA) on Environmental Rights as a follow-up action from the adoption of the ASEAN Declaration on the Right to a Safe, Clean, Healthy and Sustainable
• Ensure the RPoA includes monitoring targets, measurable indicators, timelines, and budget allocations related to marine debris reduction, plastic waste import/export regulation, and river basin cooperation.
• Ensure inclusive consultations with civil society and affected communities throughout the RPoA process.
• Recognize and protect environmental defenders through regional principles and country-level guidance.
• Amplify and institutionalize local and Indigenous knowledge systems in environmental decision-making.
• Encourage ASEAN Member States to adopt mandatory environmental and human rights due diligence for businesses operating in high-risk sectors.
• Align regional policies with global instruments such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and the Escazú Agreement.

11.  Urge ASEAN Member States to lead the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations by:

• Advocating for a legally binding treaty addressing the full life cycle of plastics—from upstream production to end-of-life impacts.
• Phasing out avoidable, problematic, and single-use plastics and creating systems for reuse, refill, and extended producer
• Supporting a global ban on plastic waste exports from developed to developing countries, especially those lacking the infrastructure to manage such waste
• Demanding strong provisions on technology transfer, financial support, and capacity-building to support a just transition in the Global South.

12.    Commit to strengthening collaboration between civil society and parliamentarians to:

• Reform national laws and align them with regional and global treaty standards on plastic reduction, waste regulation, and circularity.
• Enhance corporate transparency and accountability across the plastics supply chain, including through due diligence
• Monitor state and private sector compliance with environmental and human rights
• Amplify frontline and community-led solutions, including those championed by Indigenous groups, grassroots organizations, and informal waste

We do hereby declare our shared commitment to take the following actions to ensure ASEAN plastic governance as a human rights imperative:

13.     For Parliamentarians:

• Introduce a resolution at the upcoming ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) General Assembly affirming the right of all peoples in Southeast Asia to a safe, clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, and recognizing plastic pollution and transboundary plastic waste trade as urgent regional crises with profound human rights and environmental implications.
• Lead national legislative reforms to align with international standards and regional aspirations by enacting or strengthening laws that:
  • Regulate plastic production and consumption;
  • Ban or restrict plastic waste imports;
  • Mandate corporate environmental and human rights due diligence;
  • Advance circular economy principles;
  • Mandate extended producer's responsibility and polluters pay
• Establish parliamentary oversight mechanisms to monitor:
  • The implementation and enforcement of environmental regulations;
  • The conduct of corporations and importers;
  • Public sector    accountability,     including     budget            utilization                        for            waste management, environmental justice, and just transition initiatives.
• Ensure that public budgets reflect the needs of the most affected communities, including informal waste workers, women, Indigenous peoples, and local, rural and coastal populations, by prioritizing inclusive, equitable, and rights-based environmental programs.
• Champion the protection of environmental defenders, whistleblowers, and frontline communities through legal guarantees and public support, acknowledging their critical role in safeguarding environmental and democratic
• Convene inclusive national and subnational dialogues that engage civil society, youth, academia, Indigenous leaders, and marginalized groups in shaping national positions on ASEANʼs role in the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations and beyond.
• Represent the interests of the people, particularly those most affected by plastic pollution, in all parliamentary functions, ensuring policies are people-centred, gender-responsive, and climate-just.
• Come together to establish a Southeast Asian Parliamentary Network on Anti-Plastic Pollution, to:
  • Facilitate sustained cross-border collaboration and knowledge exchange;
  • Harmonize legislative efforts across the ASEAN Member States;
  • Engage in joint oversight missions and regional consultations;
  • Speak with a united voice in regional and global forums, including ASEAN platforms and Global Plastics Treaty negotiations;
  • Amplify the role of parliaments as protectors of rights and champions of environmental justice in the face of the plastic

14.   For Civil Society:

• Advocate at ASOEN and AICHR to embed human rights into ASEANʼs marine debris and plastic governance frameworks.
• Encourage the ASEAN in general and ASOEN and AICHR in particular, to formalize platforms where CSOs, academic institutions, and parliamentarians co-create policy recommendations.
• Strengthen grassroots monitoring of plastic waste imports and environmental
• Build cross-border coalitions to trace plastic flows and expose illegal dumping
• Coordinate national and regional participation in the Global Plastics Treaty

15.   Specifically, we call on the ASEAN Senior Officials on the Environment (ASOEN), at their 36th Meeting in Langkawi, Malaysia (28 July–1 August 2025), to: [related to opening session]

• Recognize plastic pollution as a regional human rights emergency and commit to an urgent, coordinated, and rights-based response. This framing must inform all environmental strategies and be mainstreamed across ASOENʼs working groups, cross-sectoral coordination, and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Post-2025 Strategic Plan.
• Integrate concrete measures for social protection, capacity building, and financial support into just transition frameworks away from plastic dependency. These must include targeted budget allocations and policy mechanisms that prioritize informal waste workers, women, youth, Indigenous peoples, and coastal communities—those most acutely impacted by plastic pollution. A just transition must be central to ASEANʼs sustainability agenda.
• Ensure that the ASCC Post-2025 agenda fully incorporates environmental justice and human rights safeguards, that the forthcoming ASEAN Joint Statement on  Biodiversity  Conservation  (for  CBD  COP16)  reflects  the plastic–biodiversity nexus, and that institutional reforms strengthen ASOENʼs ability to address complex, transboundary environmental threats such as plastic pollution.

This joint statement represents a call for shared responsibility, regional solidarity, and transformative action—to reclaim our ecosystems, protect our people, and uphold the environmental and human rights of present and future generations.

For any additional questions or clarifications, please reach out to: devayani@breakfreefromplastic.org.

Organized by:

Geneva, Switzerland, February 7th – A new round of talks for a global plastics treaty (INC-5.3) happened today at the Geneva International Conference Centre (CICG) in Geneva, Switzerland, where countries agreed to elect Mr. Julio Cordano, from Chile, as the new Chair following the resignation of the previous chair Ambassador Luis Vayas Valdivieso of Ecuador in early October of last year. 

While procedural in nature, this moment carried real symbolic and practical weight. While the negotiations remain a Member-State process, the new chair will play a critical role in restoring trust, ensuring inclusivity, and steering discussions toward outcomes rooted in science, human rights, environmental health, and justice.

Now, as countries continue the momentum for the negotiations to lead us to a strong treaty that addresses the full lifecycle of plastics, Break Free From Plastic members hope this renewed phase of the negotiations will help secure more meaningful participation from right-holders and civil society.

Read our members' statements here:

• Center for International Environmental Law | CIEL
• Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives
• Greenpeace
• Additional Break Free From Plastic members’ quotes are available here (including translations). 

Notes to the editor

• • INC-5.3 Photos [Break Free From Plastic | Greenpeace
  • Photos from the Earth Negotiations Bulletin
  • Translations available in Spanish and French here

About BFFP — #BreakFreeFromPlastic is a global movement envisioning a future free from plastic pollution. Since its launch in 2016, more than 2,700 organizations and 11,000 individual supporters from across the world have joined the movement to demand massive reductions in single-use plastics and push for lasting solutions to the plastic pollution crisis. BFFP member organizations and individuals share the values of environmental protection and social justice and work together through a holistic approach to bring about systemic change. This means tackling plastic pollution across the whole plastics value chain – from extraction to disposal – focusing on prevention rather than cure and providing effective solutions. www.breakfreefromplastic.org.

Global Press Contacts: 

• Caro Gonzalez | Caro@breakfreefromplastic.org 
• news@breakfreefromplastic.org 

Regional Press Contacts: 

• United States and Canada: Brett Nadrich | Brett@breakfreefromplastic.org 
• Africa: Masego Mokgwetsi | masego@breakfreefromplastic.org
• Asia Pacific: Eah Antonio | Eah@breakfreefromplastic.org 
• South Asia: Devayani Khare | devayani@breakfreefromplastic.org 
• Europe: Bethany Spendlove Keeley | Bethany@breakfreefromplastic.org
• Latin America: María Fernanda Pérez | mafe@breakfreefromplastic.org