How well are countries tracking and monitoring the plastic supply chain?

Ongoing negotiations to combat plastic pollution emphasise transparency, tracking, monitoring and labelling as essential components of comprehensive strategies to enhance accountability and visibility throughout the plastic supply chain. The provisions outlined in these negotiations require Parties to disclose harmonised information on the chemical composition of plastics and plastic products, promoting informed decision-making on safe use, recycling and disposal. Traceability measures are mandated to track chemicals, polymers and plastic contents throughout their life cycles, supporting safe management practices and compliance monitoring. Additionally, Parties are tasked with establishing marking and labelling requirements that provide consumers with vital information on recycling instructions, material composition and environmental impacts to promote responsible waste management.

To ensure effective management and regulation, Parties are required to monitor and track the production, imports and exports of chemicals and polymers used in plastic production, enabling assessment of usage patterns and targeted interventions to reduce environmental risks. Standardised reporting of collected information, including data on chemical usage and recycling facilities, facilitates data sharing, analysis and progress benchmarking in plastic pollution mitigation efforts, promoting transparency and accountability across stakeholders.

Overall, these provisions establish a robust framework for transparency, traceability and accountability in plastic management, addressing critical aspects of plastic pollution mitigation from production to disposal. Outlined measures aim to empower consumers with information, drive improvements in plastic supply chain practices, and facilitate international cooperation in combatting the pervasive challenges posed by plastic pollution.

Norway has proposed the strongest ambition for this obligation by advocating for global disclosure by primary and secondary plastics producers of polymer types, quantities and chemical usage in a public database. Oslo suggested new measures for mandatory disclosure by large businesses — including the financial sector — of activities, risks, opportunities, impacts and financial flows related to plastic pollution across their supply chains. This proposal was supported by Gabon.

The African group has proposed intersessional work on a harmonised Global tracker for transparency and disclosure requirements. The European Union and Pacific Small Island Developing States have supported most of the provisions.

India disagreed on tracking and reporting production volumes of chemicals and polymers. The United States opted to improve traceability. Brazil aligned with the US and India by proposing a weaker ambition.

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