On 16 February 2023, Mr. Andres Naranjo, the Programme Associate for QUNO's Sustainable and Just Economic Systems (SJES), presented at the pre-plenary session of the WTO Dialogue on Plastic Pollution, offering insights on waste regulations and plastic pollution management based on the findings of QUNO's recently-released report, "Package-less and Reuse Systems Through Policy Intervention: rethinking packaging in international trade."
The presentation emphasized the need to shift from recycling-centric approaches to prioritizing higher-level strategies, including avoidance and reuse/refill systems. The report's analysis of thirty countries demonstrated that recycling and reuse measures were the least favored, while labeling emerged as the most significant measure in international trade. During the presentation, Mr. Naranjo advocated for policy incentives to accelerate the adoption of reuse systems in developing countries, as this could create local jobs and alleviate pressure on waste management systems. Furthermore, Mr. Naranjo stressed the importance of establishing clear definitions and working standards to facilitate international trade and assess the sustainability merits of various reuse practices and operations.
You can refer to the attached PowerPoint slides for Mr. Naranjo's presentation.
