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Countries fail to reach agreement in UN plastic talks

Busan, South Korea Reuters Countries negotiating a global treaty to curb plastic pollution failed to reach agreement on Monday, with more than 100 nations wanting to cap production while a handful of oil-producers were prepared only to target plastic waste. The fifth UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) meeting intended to yield a legally binding global […]

Over 100 countries back plastic treaty caps as talks reach fierce finish

Busan, South Korea Reuters Negotiators aiming for an international treaty to curb plastic pollution are set for fierce debate on the last day of scheduled talks, as over 100 countries supportive of a pact that would cap plastic production face off against a handful of oil-producing countries who want it focused just on waste. The […]

South Korea’s mountain of plastic waste shows limits of recycling

Seoul, South Korea Reuters South Korea has won international praise for its recycling efforts, but as it prepares to host talks for a global plastic waste agreement, experts say the country’s approach highlights its limits. When the talks known as INC-5 kick off in Busan next week, debate is expected to centre around whether a […]

As plastic treaty talks open, countries more divided than ever

Reuters Countries are under pressure to make progress on a first-ever global plastics treaty this week, but they face tense negotiations in the Canadian capital with parties deeply divided over what the treaty should include as talks begin on Tuesday. If governments can agree on a legally binding treaty that addresses not just how plastics […]

UN plastic treaty talks grapple with re-use, recycle, reduce debate

A boy walks on a beach polluted by plastic trash in Bali, Indonesia, on 17th April, 2023.

Nairobi, Kenya Reuters A third round of United Nations negotiations to try to deliver the world’s first treaty to control plastic pollution has drawn more than 500 proposals from governments, participants said on Sunday. Negotiators, who spent a week meeting in the Kenyan capital at talks known as INC3, have until the end of next […]

EU reaches deal to stop sending waste to countries that can’t process it

Trash is pictured following heavy rainfalls in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Germany, on 15th July, 2021.

Paris, France Reuters European Union lawmakers and member states have reached a deal to revise the bloc’s waste shipment regulation and end exports of certain types of waste to third countries unable to process it properly, the EU Parliament said on Friday.  Trash is pictured following heavy rainfalls in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Germany, on 15th July, […]

In UN talks for a global plastic treaty, delegates to face off over production limits

A plastic bag containing trash floats on the water as competitors warm up for their race.

Reuters As the world’s nations enter another round of talks this week on creating a first-ever treaty to contain plastic pollution, officials are bracing for tough negotiations over whether to limit the amount of plastic being produced or just to focus on the management of waste.  Working with a document called a “zero draft” that […]