As the global plastics treaty negotiations resume under INC-5.3 following the inconclusive INC-5.2 session in Geneva last August, Asia faces mounting pressure to address its plastic pollution crisis amid stalled international progress. Rapid urbanisation, surging consumption, and inadequate waste infrastructure continue to drive the region’s plastic waste generation, projected to nearly double to 242 million tonnes by 2050 without bold reforms.
Date: 25 August 2025Guest speakers: Maggie Lee, Regional Head of Impact, WWF (former UNEP and Verra plastics expert)
Presented by: Natasha Oei (Regional Intelligence Associate, Eco-Business) and Robin Hicks (Deputy Editor, Eco-Business)
Tune in to this webinar for these insights:
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Post-INC-5.2 implications: No treaty adopted due to disputes on production caps and lifecycle scope—and their potential to influence Asia’s regulatory and market shifts, including extended producer responsibility (EPR) mandates in Japan (15% recycled PET from 2026) and South Korea (10-30% by 2030).
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Asia’s plastic challenges: Drivers like low collection rates (less than 50 per cent in rural Southeast Asian areas, for example) and risks such as 14.1 million tonnes annual leakage by 2050
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Corporate strategies: Practical steps for businesses to build resilience via plastic footprint accounting, EPR compliance, and circular innovations amid fragmented national rules and global uncertainty.
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