Reducing Plastic Pollution at Scale

Global circularity and the need for standardized trade of plastic feedstock

In 2018, the Norwegian government proposed classifying plastic as potentially hazardous waste under the Basel Convention. Following broad international support, but with only two years of preparation, the Plastic Amendments entered into force in January 2021.

Originally established to regulate nuclear waste, and later expanded to chemical and electronic waste, the Convention has since been revised to include plastic, which has no secondary value and which needs disposal, thus potentially becoming hazardous. Plastic, however, is relatively easier to recover than the preceding categories of the convention, and secondary, circular markets already exist for plastic’s re-use, albeit at relatively low levels of efficiency.  A key challenge within the Plastic Amendments, however, is the use of the terms “waste” and “disposal,” which were carried over in the text from their reference to nuclear, chemical, and e-waste. These terms are less suited to plastics which can retain secondary and tertiary value. By definition, “waste” and “disposal” imply end-of-life treatment rather than recovery or reuse, creating tension with circular economy principles that prioritize reuse, recycling, and resource efficiency. As a result, this terminology in the amendments has contributed to misunderstandings among policymakers, customs authorities, the media, and industry stakeholders. 

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