Reflecting on INC-5: A Student's Perspective

Hi friends! My name is Audrey Gregg, a member of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s Surfrider Foundation Student Club. I had the honor of attending INC-5, the fifth session of the Global Plastic’s Treaty in Busan, South Korea, in December as a student representative for Surfrider. The Surfrider Foundation attended the conference as a non-governmental organization (NGO), in support of a strong treaty that will prevent single-use plastics from entering the ocean.

I would like to use this space to speak to my fellow students to hopefully give a concise summary of what went down. After attending INC-4 in April, it has come to my awareness that the severity of the plastic pollution crisis is not known by most. It makes sense when we are living in a world with so many issues and climate anxiety, you pick and choose your battles. But living in a world where plastic is everywhere also means it has nowhere to go, and our planet and peoples can no longer withstand the negative impacts. 

It’s important to recognize that plastic recycling often falls short of its promises and serves as a form of greenwashing. Only about 5-6% of plastic waste in the U.S. is recycled each year, compared to the 51 billion tons that is produced. The majority of plastic waste that is “recycled” is buried, burned in incinerators, occupies landfills, or shipped off to developing countries in a process known as waste colonialism. These “out of sight, out of mind” procedures have resulted in underrepresented countries suffering the most, as they are on the frontlines. Throughout my week in Busan, I was most impacted by these underrepresented groups because they are speaking out of sheer desperation. And it is their voices who need to be heard the most, but still do not have a seat at the table. These groups would include the International Indigenous People’s Caucus and developing countries, such as Thailand, the Philippines, Brazil and many countries in Africa. 

Cal Poly Surfrider Club leader Audrey Gregg tabling at INC-5

In one sentence, what is INC-5? Hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme, INC-5 was intended to be the fifth and final session of developing “an internationally legally binding instrument on plastic pollution in the marine environment.” 

Who are the key players? The Global Plastic’s Treaty is made up of many different players: the member states, observers, lobbyists, and members of coalitions. By nature, the member states were and have been divided into two groups based on their treaty motivations, high ambition and low ambition states. 

• High Ambition States: countries who are banning together in support of a strong treaty, they will not settle for a weak treaty, honorable mentions: Panama, Rwanda, and European Union  
• Low Ambition States: countries who are banning together to slow the progress of a strong treaty, they are petrochemical and fossil fuel producing states that undermine the progress, dishonorable mentions: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, India, and Iran 
• Observers: non-governmental organizations (NGOs) including the Surfrider Foundation, Ocean Legacy, Break Free From Plastic, many more 
• Lobbyists: attend INC to make their presence known, usually brought on by major petrochemical companies “... 220 fossil fuel and chemical industry lobbyists are registered at INC-5, the largest number at any negotiation for the plastics treaty.” (from https://www.breakfreefromplastic.org/poplite/) 
• Coalitions: work together towards a common goal, to name a few, the Scientists Coalition, Business Coalition, Youth Coalition, Plastic Pollution Coalition 
• Civil Society Groups: include high ambition states, many observers and most coalitions present at INC (for strong treaty)
• Petrochemical States: include low ambition states and lobbyists (for weak treaty)

Inside INC-5

Now this is where it gets complicated. Imagine a massive room filled with representatives from 175 different countries and territories, and everyone is talking AT each other. The high ambition states are pushing towards the progress of a strong treaty, but are hindered by the low ambition states, who are actively stalling each day of the conference. The main contention points that derailed progress include: 

Civil Society Groups Non-Negotiables (The Crucial Steps to End Plastic Pollution):  

• Production cuts (Plastic production reduction is key! Global bans on unnecessary single-use plastics)
• Listing out chemicals of concern that are used in plastic products (Plastics contain more than 16,000 different chemicals, at least 4,200 of them are known to be hazardous to human and environmental health) 
• Establishing a financial mechanism (to support the implementation of a strong treaty, particularly in developing countries with varying financial capacities) 

Petrochemical States Stance (The Steps to Creating a Weak Treaty and Increase Plastic Production):

• Focused on end-of-life management rather than production cuts (promoting more “recycling”) 
• Believe the treaty should be on a voluntary basis, and not a globally-binding obligation 
• Wanting to redefine the plastics lifecycle (redefining the lifecycle shifts the focus onto downstream solutions, like “recycling” rather than production) 
• Including ambiguous, vague, and weak language in the treaty (unclear definitions allow for petrochemical states to continue production and find loopholes) 

Now What? 

After seven days of negotiations, INC-5 concluded without global agreement on a plastics treaty. The intensive process will continue in the near future, with the announcement of INC-5.2. This does not mean all hope is lost. Even though the inconclusive ending of INC-5 was disappointing, civil society groups are more fired up and united than ever. More and more high ambition states continue to stand up as leaders, sounding the alarm that this fight is more important than ever. 

Takeaways 

I’d consider this to be the summarized version of what happened at INC-5. Linked below are some more in-depth resources. 

1. Power of Youth Activism: After participating in an international youth panel at INC, I was incredibly inspired by the activists around me, and their dedication to the cause. I have the privilege to say I entered the world of environmental advocacy because I simply love nature and want to protect it. But many others do not have this privilege; rather, they fight in order to survive because plastics have littered their lives.
   1. Main Takeaway: Youth voices are so vital in this scene as we are the ones to unfortunately inherit the effects of the plastic crisis.

"The Power of Youth Activism" Panelists  

1. 1. Main Takeaway: Staying engaged on the topic of plastic pollution and the progression of a legally binding treaty at INC-5.2 and beyond is very important.

1. 1. Main Takeaway: Consider ways you can limit your personal consumption and output of single-use plastics to reduce further contamination of your body and planet, for example: 
      1. Pack reusable water bottles, utensils, and mugs. 
      2. Limit synthetic clothing fabrics such as polyester, acrylic, and nylon (microplastics break down over use and washes, end up in water systems) 
      3. Shop mindfully: ask yourself “Do I really need this or will it end up in the landfill soon?” And, “Is there a more sustainable alternative to this?” The majority of the time, you as a consumer have the choice, it’s just whether you choose to be proactive. Check the linked article below to learn more.

1. 1. The true solution lies in systemic change, which is why a strong treaty is so vital. It requires reducing plastic production at the source and holding major corporations accountable for the environmental impact of their products. Only through such transformative measures can we address the root causes of plastic pollution and the way for a sustainable future. 

Conclusion

Plastic pollution is an overwhelming topic to say the least, but it’s one we can no longer ignore. It’s a crisis that touches every aspect of our lives - environmental, economic, and societal. While the challenges are complex, they also unite us in pursuit of solutions. I do have hope for what lies ahead at INC-5.2, and hope that you feel affirmed that a cleaner future is within reach. The path forwards exists; we just need to keep the momentum alive. 

A heartfelt thank you to the Surfrider Foundation for this incredible opportunity to learn, connect, and share. 

Resources Worth the Read 

https://www.breakfreefromplastic.org/2024/12/02/plastic-treaty-talks-stall-despite-support-for-production-cuts-additional-session-planned/ (BFFP members reactions to the results of INC-5)

https://www.unep.org/interactives/beat-plastic-pollution/ (GREAT overview with visuals of what single-use plastics are made of, where they end up, mismanagement and what you can do) 

https://www.surfrider.org/news/surfrider-attends-final-round-of-global-plastics-treaty-inc-5-in-south-korea (Surfrider Foundation’s participation at INC-5) 

https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/blog/2022/5/16/what-really-happens-to-your-plastic-recycling#:~:text=From%20a%20recycling%20bin%2C%20plastics,next%20leg%20of%20its%20journey. (explains what “plastic recycling” really is)

https://www.breakfreefromplastic.org/poplite/ (summaries from each day of INC-5)