Break Free From Plastic

November 23, 2024; Busan, South Korea — At least 1,500 marched in Busan today urging government leaders to deliver a strong and robust plastics treaty that effectively addresses the root causes of the plastic pollution crisis by reducing global production of primary plastic polymers. Delegates from over 170 countries are gathering for the fifth and final meeting of the International Negotiating Committee (INC-5) from November 25th to December 1st, aimed at establishing an international legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution.  

The Busan Plastic March led by the global Break Free from Plastic (BFFP) movement and local Korean allies from the Uproot Plastics Coalition included indigenous groups, youth, waste pickers, and community leaders. They emphasized the links between plastic pollution, human rights and environmental justice. The demonstrators, which also saw the participation of the world’s largest environmental groups and networks, insisted that the treaty must include production reduction targets to be effective at ending plastic pollution as mandated by the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA 5.2) Resolution 5/14.

“Mandatory targets to reduce plastic production are essential to combat the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and toxic pollution,” said Semee Rhee of Break Free from Plastic. “Failure to check the untrammeled production of primary plastic polymers would mean allowing the plastic pollution crisis to persist  and perpetuate  social and environmental injustices for generations to come.”

Most carbon emissions from plastics come from the production processes and the extraction of fossil fuels used to make 99% of plastics. The current projected growth of plastic production also threatens humanity’s ability to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius as set by the Paris Agreement. Aside from being a threat to meeting climate targets, advocates point out that a weak plastics treaty could also fail to protect human health as plastics expose people to over 16,000 chemicals, and 4,200 of these are classified as hazardous to people and the environment. 

“Investing in reuse systems is crucial. We need real and lasting solutions, not just temporary waste management fixes,” said Rahyang Nusantara of Plasticdiet Indonesia.  “We need a treaty to establish a global standard for reuse systems not only to effectively tackle pollution across the full life cycle of plastics but to also ensure human health. This is what the world needs, not just another waste management agreement.” he added. 

Arpita Bhagat of the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives also emphasized the need for an effective implementation of the treaty saying, “To be fair, the agreement must ensure that the financial mechanism prioritizes reduction, redesign, and reuse through dedicated, sufficient, sustainable fund to support low-income countries and SIDS. The prospective agreement must center principles of human rights and justice, polluter pays, do no harm, and provide just transition for Waste Pickers and other informal workers engaged in the plastics life cycle as well as Indigenous Peoples as key partners to the treaty.”

Since the beginning of the treaty negotiation process in 2022, groups have called out conflicts of interest in the negotiation rooms and the need for greater transparency and meaningful participation for civil society. With only one round of negotiations left as UN member states are expected to close the negotiations by December 1st, civil society groups are hoping that the meetings will end with a treaty text that will prove to be effective in ending plastic pollution instead of a watered-down agreement that fails to deliver on the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to systematically address the full life cycle of plastics.

Sammy Yu of Green Korea United said, “As the host country of INC-5 and the world’s fourth-largest producer of plastic raw materials, the South Korean government bears a significant responsibility in addressing plastic pollution. Despite its passive stance during INC-4, the Korean government must take a decisive position on ‘reducing production’ at the fifth round of negotiations and advocate for it strongly. Moreover, negotiations are not confined to the conference room. To effectively push for a production reduction stance in these discussions, the government must first restore its domestic resource circulation policies, which have regressed over the past two years, and align them with its negotiation position.” 

This was supported by Sunryul Kim of Greenpeace Seoul office who said, “The people are speaking with one voice, demanding that the negotiators ensure that the Plastics Treaty will ensure cuts in production and end single-use plastic. We are at the most critical part of creating this agreement and what will come out of this negotiation will affect our future for generations to come. As the host country and a member of High Ambition Coalition(HAC),  the South Korean government must listen to its citizens and lead the way for strong production reduction targets at the negotiating table.”

Youth activist Aeshnina Azzahra Aqilani of Indonesia said, “This plastic crisis is rooted in the overproduction of single-use plastics, building for us and future generations a very toxic legacy. Waste created today will poison all children and the planet through toxic plastic emission and microplastic exposure along the plastic life cycle. Safeguard the health and survival of future generations by advocating for a legally binding global plastic treaty— a treaty that encompasses ambitious goals for a reduction in plastic production, with accountability placed on corporations for reuse and refill solutions in its place. The world is watching. The future is waiting. Make the right decision.”

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Note to the editors: 

• Photos will be available here. 
• More quotes are available in the quote sheet
• More references about the plastics treaty negotiations here
• Full press kit accessible here  

About Break Free From Plastic –  #BreakFreeFromPlastic is a global movement envisioning a future free from plastic pollution. Since its launch in 2016, more than 3,500  organizations representing millions of individual supporters around 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

About Uproot Plastics Coalition – Uproot Plastics Coalition is comprised of 16 domestic and international civic groups in the Republic of Korea: Action for a Carcinogen-free Korea, Almang Market, Break Free From Plastic (BFFP), , Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), Green Environment Youth Korea (GEYK), Green Korea United (GKU), Greenpeace Korea, Korea Federation for Environmental Movements (KFEM), Korea Zerowaste Movement Network, Korean Women's Environmental Network (KWEN), National Council of the Green Consumers Network in Korea, Our Sea of East Asia Network (OSEAN), RELOOP, Resource Circulation Society & Economy Institute, Seoul Korea Federation for Environmental Movements (Seoul KFEM), and Wonjin Institute for Occupational and Environmental Health (WIOEH)

Press Contacts:

• Eah Antonio: eah@breakfreefromplastic.org | +63 927 827 7960
• Jiwon Kim: jiwon.kim@greenpeace.org  | +82 10 8715 7105
• Sammy Yu : jazzygreen@greenkorea.org | +82 10 4487 8727

This press release is also available in Korean and Spanish through this link.

84% of people across ten countries support cuts to plastic production, as revealed in a new survey published by Break Free From Plastic ahead of the fifth round of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) meeting for a Global Plastics Treaty, commencing in Busan, Korea next week.

The key findings from the survey include:

• 84% of respondents agree that to stop plastic pollution, we must cut plastic production.
• 82% of respondents agree that the Global Plastics Treaty should include a reduction in plastic production to stop biodiversity loss.
• 79% of respondents agree that the Global Plastics Treaty should include a reduction in plastic production to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
• 84% of respondents support governments in signing the Global Plastics Treaty.
• Most respondents overestimate the amount of plastic that is recycled by more than three times. Just 9% of plastic is ever recycled (OECD), yet the average estimate ranged from 34% to 49% across the ten countries surveyed.
• While a majority of respondents know that plastic is primarily made from oil, just 52% of Americans, and 58% of Canadians and British respondents know that plastic is primarily made from oil, compared with 63% of Kenyan respondents and 75% of French respondents.
• Spanish, French, British and Korean respondents were more likely to identify corporations or government as responsible for plastic pollution

Justine Maillot, Break Free From Plastic Europe Coordinator, said:

“This is further evidence that there is overwhelming support for cutting plastic production across a broad range of countries. Delegates attending INC-5 in Busan must listen to their populations and ensure that cuts to plastic production are included in the Global Plastics Treaty.”

“The vast majority of respondents clearly understand the connection between the plastics crisis and other environmental crises, including biodiversity loss and climate change. People are demanding that governments take action to address these interconnected issues.”

“The fact that most people overestimate the amount of plastic that is recycled is not surprising. The oil, gas and petrochemical industries have spent millions of dollars on campaigns to convince the general public that recycling is effective. The reality is that just 9% of plastic globally is ever recycled. We need drastic production cuts to effectively end the plastic crisis.”

Link to survey

Note: The survey was conducted by Dynata, online in September 2024, with approximately 1000 respondents from each of the following countries: Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Spain, Switzerland, UK, USA. The theoretical margin of error of the survey is approximately +/-3.1%.

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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 | +1 (646) 991-1013
• news@breakfreefromplastic.org

Regional Press Contacts: 

• United States and Canada: Brett Nadrich | Brett@breakfreefromplastic.org | +1 (929) 269-4480
• Africa: Carissa Marnce | Carissa@no-burn.org
• South East Asia: Eah Antonio | Eah@breakfreefromplastic.org | +63 (927) 827 7960
• South Asia: Devayani Khare | devayani@breakfreefromplastic.org | +91 (704) 214 6169
• Europe: Bethany Spendlove Keeley | Bethany@breakfreefromplastic.org | +49 (176) 595 87 941

In a letter addressed to DENR Secretary Toni Yulo-Loyzaga, the groups expressed support for the Philippines’ position on developing a strong and effective treaty that includes reduction in primary plastic polymer production, elimination of chemicals of concern in plastics, binding global requirements on product design, and accessible financing for implementation. 

However, in the same letter, the groups also  warned of potential attempts by polluters and powerful interests to weaken the government’s position. “While we support the Philippine delegation in championing an ambitious treaty, we are also prepared to expose and oppose any reversal or weakening of positions that would infringe on  the rights of Filipinos to health and to a balanced and healthful ecology,“ the groups cautioned.

“We hope the  Philippine government will not succumb to these  pressures or backslide from  its previously stated positions. We will support our country's delegation but will also not hesitate to expose backsliding in the service of polluters,” said Von Hernandez of Break Free From Plastic.

In earlier rounds of negotiations, the Philippines has been touted as one of the progressive advocates for a strong, high ambition, science-based plastics treaty. The Philippine delegation has been one of the most vocal supporters of a treaty that includes global reduction of primary plastic polymers and in addressing pollution across the full life cycle of plastics. This also aligns with the findings of a survey conducted by Greenpeace and Censuswide earlier this year, which found that 94% of Filipinos support an ambitious global plastics treaty that would mandate cuts in global plastic production. 

Nine (9)  out of ten (10) Filipinos also support  bans on single use plastics  according to the same poll.  90% of greenhouse gas emissions from plastics are released during  production processes including the extraction of  fossil fuels used in making plastics and the widespread use of single use plastics (SUPs). Taken together,  the unabated global production and use of plastics present financial risks to governments, threaten human health, degrade ecosystems, and aggravate the climate crisis. 

This national position has been supported by the environmental groups who also wanted the government to intensify support for prioritizing upstream measures such as reuse-and-refill models and safer product design, while opposing greenwashing technologies and systems. The groups also asked the Philippine delegation to support just transition to ensure that waste workers, women and youth, indigenous peoples, workers, and other vulnerable sectors do not bear the burden of a transition away from plastics. 

“The final round of the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations is a critical juncture for the Philippines and nations on the frontlines of plastic pollution,” said Marian Ledesma, Zero Waste Campaigner of Greenpeace Philippines. “A strong treaty is not just a necessity; it’s a lifeline to protect the people and the planet. A weak treaty—without measures to reduce plastic production and phase out harmful plastics and chemicals of concern— leaves Filipinos facing greater harm. People need a treaty that drives ambition, robust policies and concrete actions across the plastic lifecycle, as this is our once-in-a-generation chance to finally end plastic pollution on a global scale.”

Jam Lorenzo, Research and Policy Development Head of group BAN Toxics also calls on the Philippine government to continue its stand as a progressive voice in the negotiations for the Global Plastics Treaty. “In previous INC meetings, the Philippines has advocated for the protection of human health and the environment. With the fifth INC meeting happening in a few weeks, it is important that the country remains firm with its positions on supporting production reduction, just transition, and the adoption of global transparency requirements — critical components to ensure that the GPT becomes effective.”

“It is high time for the Government to address the country's looming plastic pollution that adversely affects our peoples health and the environment,” said Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition. “We need a stronger country position that will  prioritize health, justice, and sustainability over the business as usual norms. Prevent plastic pollution at source, impose a cap on plastic production, ban single-use plastics, and invest in reuse and refill solutions.”

The negotiations for a plastics treaty has reached a crucial point where countries race against time with the deadline looming. From November 25 to December 1, 2024, the Philippines, along with other U.N. member-states will gather in Busan, South Korea for the fifth — and supposedly last — round of meetings of the International Negotiating Committee (INC-5) for a global plastics treaty. 

The Philippine delegation to INC-5, headed by the DENR, includes representatives from various government agencies and experts from civil society.

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Note to the editor:   

• The letter to the DENR may be accessed through this link

• Photos are available here. Please credit the photos accordingly.

About Break Free From Plastic –  #BreakFreeFromPlastic is a global movement envisioning a future free from plastic pollution. Since its launch in 2016, more than 3,500  organizations representing millions of individual supporters around 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

Press Contacts:

• Eah Antonio: eah@breakfreefromplastic.org | +63 927 827 7960
• Eunille Santos: eunille.santos@greenpeace.org | +63 9175411248

Dear Secretary Yulo-Loyzaga,

Greetings!

As the Philippine delegation prepares for the final meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for a Global Plastics Treaty (INC-5) this November 25-December 1 in Busan, South Korea, we, the undersigned organizations, urge the government to maintain and reinforce the positions that the Philippines has taken thus far towards an ambitious and effective plastics treaty.

In particular, we support the following (quoting from the DENR briefer on the Philippine position):

• Global aggregate reduction in primary plastic polymer … that promotes sustainable production and consumption of plastics through upstream measures.
• A globally harmonized approach to develop criteria that will identify problematic and avoidable plastic products.
• Measures to avoid health risk through the elimination of chemicals of concern in plastics through the establishment of clear criteria that will ensure that plastics, throughout their lifecycle, are safe to human health and the environment.
• Binding global requirements on product design and performance to ensure reduction, reuse, and safe recycling for all plastic products through a globally harmonized, criteria-based approach that would drive innovation, reduce waste, and foster a more sustainable circular plastics economy.
• Global mitigation actions to address greenhouse gas emissions from plastic industry’s extraction and production through reduction or avoidance of primary plastic polymers.
• The “concept of essential use” that phaseouts or bans and timetables should consider whether or not a plastic product has essential use … and whether safe and sustainable alternatives or substitutes with similar functionality are or will become available.
• [Consideration of] national capabilities and circumstances … [that] could mean time-bound exemptions, financial assistance, technology access, and capacity building … to shift or transition to safer and more sustainable plastic products.
• A comprehensive finance package that leverages all available sources, including public and private financing and aligns financial flows with the treaty's objectives to provide predictable, adequate, and accessible financing for the implementation of specific binding measures.

Given the grave environmental and health impacts of plastic pollution on the Philippines, we will continue to support and champion the above positions that the Philippine delegation has consistently taken, in keeping with the results of past stakeholder consultations. 

In addition, we call on our government to intensify its support for the following:

• Explicitly recognizing that the treaty's overall objective is to protect human health and the environment from plastic pollution.
• Addressing the impacts at all stages of the full life cycle of plastics.
• Prioritizing upstream measures such as prevention, production reduction,  reuse-and-refill models, promoting safer and more sustainable alternatives, product redesign (towards material and energy efficiency, repairability, repurposing, remanufacturing, and safe recyclability), while opposing greenwashing technologies and systems that divert resources from effective solutions.
• Adopting a systems approach to product design, considering that products designed for reusability or refillability have to be part of a system and infrastructure to ensure their reuse/refilling at scale.
• Applying the precautionary principle in defining “safety” including health and environmental impacts.
• Pursuing WHO’s “One Health” approach to improve public health, environmental and sustainable development outcomes, and collaborating with the health sector. Applying this holistic approach to plastics will strengthen the foundation and design of policies within a plastics treaty, ensuring that both health risks and environmental impacts are comprehensively evaluated.
• Evaluating safety, sustainability, socioeconomic impacts, contributions to the triple planetary crises (climate change, biodiversity loss, and global pollution) and equity and human rights, in assessing problematic plastic products as well as plastic and non-plastic alternatives.
• Addressing legacy plastic pollution through environmentally-sound remediation" to preclude dirty technologies.
• Utilizing a criteria and a chemical class-based approach in eliminating, restricting and phasing out of chemicals of concern such as hazardous groups of chemicals which cause cancer, genetic mutations, reproductive harm, endocrine disruption, and kidney and liver damage, among others, and of nano-plastics and microplastics which are now found in all major species of fish tested in the Philippines. These criteria should include health risks and harmfulness to human health, including bioaccumulation and toxic long-term effects and the potential for human exposure.
• Requiring globally-harmonized transparency and traceability mechanisms (including disclosure of information essential to assess safety, health impacts, and sustainability), monitoring, tracking, and  traceability of plastic polymers and their production, plastic products and chemicals used across the plastic supply chain.
• Endorsing a proposed multi-disciplinary science-policy panel that is geographically represented, transparent, independent, and free from conflicts of interest, to provide science-based recommendations to the governing body.
• Supporting Just Transition to ensure that waste workers, women and youth, indigenous peoples, workers in the plastics industry, frontline communities, and other vulnerable sectors do not bear the burden of a transition to a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable future.
• Pursuing a Dedicated Fund aimed at supporting the implementation and compliance of the International Legally Binding Instrument (ILBI) on plastic pollution, with prioritized support for developing countries like the Philippines.

By maintaining its stated position and adopting the additional recommendations above, the government can truly fulfill its constitutional mandate of safeguarding our people’s right to a clean and healthy environment. This would also align with a  recent  Censuswide poll that found 94% of Filipinos support an ambitious global plastics treaty with plastic production caps, which significantly stops plastic pollution, prevents biodiversity loss, and limits global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

We understand, however, that industry representatives and a few powerful and wealthy countries wishing to protect the interests of their plastics and petrochemical industries may try to influence the Philippines to weaken its positions. This would be detrimental to the interests of the  Filipino people who are already bearing the brunt of the interconnected climate, biodiversity and plastic crises.  As much as we are willing to support the Philippine delegation in advocating for the above positions, we are also prepared to expose and oppose any reversal or weakening of positions that would infringe on the rights of Filipinos to health and to a balanced and healthful ecology. 

In summary, an ambitious and effective Global Plastics Treaty—with global, legally binding obligations applied across the full life cycle, including substantial reductions in the production of primary plastic polymers, elimination of chemicals of concern in plastics, globally harmonized requirements for safe and sustainable plastic products, adoption of reuse systems and targets,  transparency and monitoring, time-bound exemptions based on national circumstances, mechanisms for dedicated financial and technical assistance and capacity building to assist developing countries, and a just transition, among others—is in the best interest of current and future generations of Filipinos. 

We look forward to working with DENR and other agencies in a whole-of-society approach to comply with future obligations of an ambitious and effective Global Plastics Treaty to end plastic pollution. 

Sincerely,

1. Aksyon Klima Pilipinas
2. Assistance and Cooperation for Community Resilience and Development (ACCORD)
3. Archdiocese of Manila integral Ecology Ministry
4. ASH Philippines
5. Bagong Silangan Resource Collectors’ Association (BaSiRCA)
6. BAN Toxics
7. Bantay Pawikan Inc.
8. Barangay San Roque Fisherfolks Association (BSFA)
9. Batangas 2 Fishermen's Association
10. Break Free from Plastic
11. Brgy 33 Peñaranda Eco Negosyo Association (Legazpi, Albay)
12. Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino - NCRR
13. Calapan City Association of Palero, Inc. (Oriental Mindoro)
14. Caritas Philippines
15. Cavite Green Coalition
16. Citizens Organization Concerned with Advocating Philippine Environmental Sustainability (COCAP Philippines)
17. Consumer Rights for Safe Food (CRSF)
18. CREST - Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technology
19. Diocese of Imus (DIMEC)
20. Disaster Risk Reduction Network Philippines (DRRNetPhils)
21. Dumaguete Women Waste Worker (Dumaguete City)
22. Ecoteneo - Ateneo de Davao University
23. EcoWaste Coalition
24. Ecosystems Work for Essential Benefits, Inc. (ECOWEB)
25. Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance, Philippines
26. GAIA Asia Pacific
27. Green Forum Panay Guimaras, Inc.
28. Greenpeace Philippines
29. Health Care Without Harm
30. Institute for the Development of Educational and Ecological Alternatives, Inc. (IDEAS)
31. Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS), Inc. (Davao City)
32. International Pollutants Elimination Network Southeast and East Asia (IPEN SEA)
33. Kalipunan ng Samahan ng mga Mangangalakal at Junkshop (KASAMAJ)
34. Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center-Friends of the Earth Philippines
35. LURHA Tejero - Lot 1 Residence Home Owners Association
36. Malabon Navotas Waste Workers Association (MaNaWWa)
37. Mamamayan Ayaw sa Aerial Spray (MAAS), Davao
38. Managing Alternatives Groups, Inc. (MAGI)
39. Médecins du Monde (France)
40. Mother Earth Foundation
41. Nagkakaisang Lakas ng mga Mangangalakal ng Longos
42. Negrosanon Initiative for Climate and the Environment
43. Oceana Philippines International
44. Pag-asa Pawikan Protection and Conservation Center Corp.
45. Partnership for Clean Air (PCA)
46. Phil. Earth Justice Center
47. Philippine National Waste Workers Alliance
48. Pinagisang Samahan ng mga Mangangalakal ng Longos at Capulong (PSMLC)
49. Plastic Free Bohol
50. Prof. Cherry Ballescas
51. Samahang Muling Pagkabuhay - Multi Purpose Cooperative
52. Samahan ng mga Mangangalakal sa Bagong Silang
53. Samahan ng mga Mangangalakal ng Scrap ng Capulong
54. Samahan ng mga Mangangalakal ng San Vicente Ferrer, Camarin, Caloocan City
55. San Jose Sico Landfill Multipurpose Cooperative (Batangas City)
56. Save Sierra Madre Network Alliance, Inc.
57. Sawsawan Waste Pickers (SWP)
58. Siquijor Waste Workers Association (Siquijor Island)
59. Sitio Mahayag Alliance for Socialized Housing (SMASH)
60. TCUPHAI Home Owners Ass. Inc.
61. Urban Poor Associates (Navotas)
62. Women Waste Warrior (Manila City)
63. Zero Waste Baguio Incorporated
64. Zero Waste Cities Network - Philippines