Dear Heads of Delegations,

As members of the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty, representing +290 global businesses, financial institutions and NGOs, we remain steadfast in our belief that a robust treaty with strong common obligations is the most effective way to pursue a lasting impact on plastic pollution while delivering economic, environmental and social value. 

Business supports harmonised regulations because they (1) drive consistency across borders while supporting national ambitions; and (2) provide the lowest cost option to effectively address plastic pollution. Voluntary efforts are not enough, and the current fragmented regulatory landscape results in increased costs and complexity.

With a pivotal opportunity at INC 5.2, we urge you to support a treaty that includes provisions for harmonised regulations on key elements, including phase-outs, product design and extended producer responsibility (EPR). Enabled by a fair financing mechanism, such measures would help support sustainable levels of production and consumption of plastics globally, ensure a level playing field for businesses, and support all countries to deliver on their national ambitions. 

The best available evidence suggests that this clarity and consistency would help accelerate action at the country level, and provide the lowest cost option to effectively address plastic pollution. 

• A treaty with globally harmonised obligations and criteria to phase out the most problematic plastic products could help eliminate more than twice as many problematic and avoidable plastic products (compared to a treaty based on voluntary national measures).
• The phase out of problematic and avoidable plastic products and the introduction of common design requirements should enhance collection and recycling rates, while increased EPR revenues would support the expansion of waste management capacity, leading to a potential reduction of global mismanaged plastic waste by 23%. 
• A treaty that defines common criteria for product design could significantly increase the recyclability and reusability of products across the world. This consistency would help drive investment for the necessary infrastructure, reduce the compliance burden for businesses, and scale circular economy solutions. It could also improve waste stream quality, unlock larger value pools for alternative materials and business models, and reduce the cost of recycled materials – global recycled content availability is projected to increase by 77% by 2040.  
• These improvements are also expected to deliver measurable social value through protecting and creating stable jobs across the plastics value chain, particularly in waste management, including the informal sector, which would benefit from improved working conditions and fair remuneration. 
• A globally harmonised approach for national EPR schemes, with key principles and minimum requirements, would make recycling more efficient and expand the supply of high-quality recycled content. We, as businesses, are already contributing significantly to EPR fees in many countries. However, with common principles applied at a national level, global cumulative EPR revenues could more than double between 2026 and 2040, to $576 billion, compared to $279 billion under a treaty based on voluntary national measures. 
• Cleaner waste streams, expanded waste collection and reduced plastic pollution can help support better public services and healthier communities, with knock-on benefits to other industries, like tourism and fishing. 
• Regulatory harmonisation across markets will provide much-needed certainty for businesses and investors, improving long-term decision-making and lowering the cost of capital. This will catalyse investment and innovation towards long-term value creation.

As business leaders, we are working to transform our business models to catalyse a circular economy in which plastic never becomes waste or pollution, and the value of products and materials is retained in the economy. There is already significant alignment on these topics through voluntary industry initiatives, and we remain committed to efforts to advance a circular economy for plastics. 

There is no time to waste. We believe a global treaty with a harmonised approach and common regulations, negotiated as part of the UN process, is critical to lay the groundwork for future action to tackle plastic pollution and unlock greater value for our countries and our communities. 

‍We are encouraged to see ministers and representatives from 95 countries supporting “The Nice Call for an Ambitious Treaty on Plastic Pollution”, which echoes our positions on the critical points included above. We stand ready to work together with policymakers across the world on this critical task and call on governments to unite behind a treaty that is truly fit for purpose.