GVC feedback on Paris talks to ban plastic waste

Five members of the Vinyl Institute of the United States represented SAVA and fellow members of the Global Vinyl Council at the United Nations negotiations on a binding global agreement on plastic waste last week. During ten days in France, the PVC team met with more than 50 national delegations, trade associations, allied companies, and stakeholders, including the union of waste pickers.

Feedback from these talks is that while the threat to the PVC industry is serious, they’ve had opportunities to work together to establish the industry as a good actor globally.
While the likelihood of a global cap on plastic production decreased, there are growing calls for 'plastic product' bans, ingredient transparency, bans on additives, and taxes to support waste reduction. 
During side and bilateral meetings, PVC was mentioned as a problematic plastic with toxic ingredients that should be addressed in the agreement. Nonetheless, the message about the positive side of PVC was well received, as the team emphasized the value of PVC blood bags and piping, directly linking how a polymer ban rather than a 'plastic product' ban could have negative unintended consequences, especially for developing nations.

The High Ambition Coalition (HAC) is the most vocal opponent of the PVC industry. Collectively, they are advocating for eliminating "problematic plastics," including restrictions on PVC and polystyrene, and they recruited two additional nations last week, namely Japan and Spain. Individually, however, constructive dialogues were held with several member country delegates, including Australia, Japan, and Senegal. Further dialogue is undoubtedly warranted during the intersessional period ahead of INC-3 in Nairobi, Kenya. 

We are still in the very early phases of this process, and therefore still have time to write and share a collective and global approach to addressing the key challenges ahead. As an industry, we are collectively advocating for an ambitious, but achievable agreement, national plans to allow flexibility, and no listing of polymers, ingredients, or products.
The GVC will consider a strategic discussion on the following topics in the months ahead:
 
* Harmonized approach to transparency
* Harmonized approach to end-of-life collection, especially in developing nations
* Recognition for standards to ensure the safe use of post-consumer recycled PVC
* Harmonized approach to U.N. efforts in other areas, notably water, and desalination

Next Steps:
Here is a timeline for negotiations:

What will SAVA be doing? 
* We will continue to contact our government to oppose any PVC polymer or product ban, to educate them about how the PVC industry is already very proficient in recycling, and to learn about how we can collaborate in national action plans.
* Educate our members or customers and ask them to contact their governments to oppose any ban on PVC, our ingredients, and products.
* Continue to develop and communicate the message that we cannot accomplish the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals without PVC.