At its 4th session, the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, established two Ad hoc intersessional open-ended expert groups to inform and advance technical discussions ahead of the 5th session of the INC, scheduled to take place from 25 November to 1 December 2024 in Busan, Republic of Korea.

Life-Cycle Approaches remain a central point in the discussions, as the UNEA Resolution 5/14, decided that “the intergovernmental negotiating committee is to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic.”

Of particular interest to the LCA community may be the work of the second Ad hoc intersessional open-ended expert groups, referred to as Expert Group 2. Expert Group 2 (EG2) was mandated to identify and analyse criteria- and non-criteria-based approaches regarding plastic products and chemicals of concern in plastic products, and product design focusing on recyclability and reusability of plastic products, considering their uses and applications, for the consideration by the Committee at INC-5.

Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) has been identified, among others, as a possible approach to assess plastic products and potential alternatives. The importance of avoiding regrettable substitutions and ensuring the availability, affordability and accessibility of substitutes or alternative products, using a life-cycle approach, was also stressed during the discussions of EG2. It was mentioned that any criteria-based approach for the identification and classification of plastic products, should be supported by knowledge and sufficient data. Impacts across the life cycle, including potential for leakage, are among the factors identified by experts in EG2, as relevant to a knowledge and evidence-based approach for the identification and classification of plastic products.

With regards to chemicals of concern, Expert Group2 emphasized the importance of considering the rising downstream challenges, including legacy plastics and recycling of products when considering a full life-cycle approach. Adopting a life-cycle approach was also discussed with regards to the various possible approaches identified for chemicals of concern in plastic products.

With regards to discussion held on criteria and non-criteria based approaches for product design, different views were expressed on how to apply a life-cycle approach, including on the type of approach (e.g., cradle to grave), the stages of the life cycle to be considered and the fact that the same design criteria should apply  plastic products and to alternatives including non plastic material substitutes.

The above points and more information on the discussions held in Bangkok during the in-person EG2 meeting, can be found in the summaries available online on the Expert Group website:

Ahead of the 5th Session of the INC in Busan, the co-chairs of the two Expert Groups will make available online, a Co-chair’s Report. The Co-chairs’ reports will be non-negotiated documents, reflecting the different expert views expressed during the entire intersessional period by the experts nominated by Members of the INC. The main objective of the Co-chair’s reports will be to inform and help advance the further work of the Committee at INC-5.