Ahead of the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations, policymakers face a singular opportunity to chart a new course for how the world designs, uses, and manages plastic. Today, more than 430 million tonnes of plastic are produced annually, yet less than 10 % is recycled effectively. At least 11 million tonnes of plastics leak into rivers and oceans annually, damaging marine ecosystems and threatening human health. An estimated 9% of the plastics ever produced have been recycled, and 12% have been incinerated. The remainder is either still in use, has been disposed of in landfills, or released into the environment, including the oceans.These figures underscore an urgent need for systemic change across every stage of the plastic lifecycle.

EPR has proven to be a scalable and effective mechanism that shifts part of the responsibility from municipalities to producers, providing funding for the end-of-life management of products, as well as driving eco-design innovation. In this regard, as recycling options or alternatives to plastics are identified, the impacts of these actions should be carefully reviewed to ensure their alignment with the holistic SDG framework. As the paper outlines the ideal EPR framework, lessons learned from existing schemes are accounted for.

Aligned with ISWA’s key messages for INC-5.1, particularly Key Message 5 on providing waste management solutions tailored to socio-economic and cultural conditions, this paper provides guidance on the full potential of EPR and its key success factors, as support to the final negotiations of the Global Plastics Treaty. Providing flexibility to account for the specific context is a critical element for the integration of this instrument in the Treaty. For example, in the case of Small Island States, regional EPRs are being explored.

This paper serves as a practical guide for national delegates, providing:

• An overview of the EPR in plastic waste management and its potential to drive circularity
• A roadmap in 5 steps for setting up EPR schemes.
• Policy recommendations on the content of EPR schemes to ensure their role as a cornerstone of the transition to a circular economy for plastics, which goes way beyond focusing on recycling, as outlined in the newly produced ISO Norm 59004 on circular economy.