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Primary reference(s)

Basel Convention, 1989. . Accessed 18 November 2019.

Basel Convention Secretariat, 2019. . Accessed 5 October 2020.

Additional scientific description

Plastic is a lightweight, hygienic and resistant material which can be moulded in a variety of ways and used in a wide range of applications. Unlike metals, plastics do not rust or corrode. Most plastics do not biodegrade, but instead photodegrade, meaning that they slowly break down into small fragments known as microplastics. (UNEP, 2018).

The 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention defined categories of wastes requiring special consideration (European Commission, 2019). This includes plastic wastes:

• Plastic waste, including mixtures of such waste, with the exception of the following: plastic waste that is hazardous waste pursuant to paragraph 1 (a) of Article 18; plastic waste listed below, provided it is destined for recycling in an environmentally sound manner and almost free from contamination and other types of wastes; and plastic waste almost exclusively consisting of one non-halogenated polymer, including but not limited to the following polymers: polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycarbonates (PC), and polyethers.
• Plastic waste almost exclusively consisting of one cured resin or condensation product, including but not limited to the following resins: urea formaldehyde resins; phenol formaldehyde resins; melamine formaldehyde resins; epoxy resins; and alkyd resins.
• Plastic waste almost exclusively consisting of one of the following fluorinated polymers: perfluoroethylene/ propylene (FEP); perfluoroalkoxy alkanes; tetrafluoroethylene/ perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether (PFA); tetrafluoroethylene/ perfluoromethyl vinyl ether (MFA); polyvinylfluoride (PVF); polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF); and mixtures of plastic waste, consisting of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and/or polyethylene terephthalate (PET), provided they are destined for separate recycling of each material and in an environmentally sound manner and almost free from contamination and other types of wastes.

Metrics and numeric limits

None identified.

Examples of drivers, outcomes and risk management

Plastic waste harms wildlife and damages ecosystems (UNEP, no date) and is responsible for vast economic losses in the tourism, fishing and shipping industries. Worldwide, the total damage to the world’s marine ecosystem due to plastic waste is estimated to total at least USD 13 billion per year (United Nations, 2019). As well as harm to wildlife and ecosystems, many plastics may be chemically harmful in other contexts because they are themselves potentially toxic, contain additives or because they absorb other pollutants (Rochman et al., 2013).

Plastics account for a large proportion of current solid waste production (United Nations, 2019) and many countries classify plastics as a solid waste. Nearly 50% of the plastic waste generated globally in 2015 was plastic packaging and other singleuse plastics, and approximately 16% of plastic produced globally is thought to be used in building and construction globally (UNEP, 2018).

Treating plastic waste requires a consideration of both the intrinsic composition of plastic and potential contamination. The presence of impurities and contaminants in the plastics may influence the options for managing the waste in an environmentally sound manner and should be addressed appropriately. Contaminated plastic wastes may be a major or minor hazard depending on the contaminant (UNEP, 2002).

Plastic waste recycling faces technical, economic and structural issues that are still to be overcome globally (UNEP, 2002). Recycling of plastic waste can be supported with legal and economic instruments (UNEP, 2002). To reduce plastic pollution, it is of critical importance to improve the state of solid waste collection services, strengthen the recycling industry and ensure safe disposal of waste to controlled landfills (UNEP, 2018). Through BC-14/13, the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention (COP-14, 29 April - 10 May 2019) decided to update the technical guidelines for the identification and environmentally sound management of plastic waste and for their disposal (European Commission, 2019).

In their report on microplastics in drinking-water, the World Health Organization concluded that routine monitoring of microplastics in drinking-water is not recommended at this time, as there is no evidence to indicate a human health concern. They considered that concerns over microplastics in drinking-water should not divert resources of water suppliers and regulators from removing microbial pathogens, which remain the most significant risk to human health from drinking-water along with other chemical priorities (WHO, 2019). As part of water safety planning, water suppliers should ensure that control measures are effective and should optimise water treatment processes for particle removal and microbial safety, which will incidentally improve the removal of microplastic particles. The report also stated that measures should be taken to better manage plastics and reduce the use of plastics where possible, to minimise plastic and microplastic pollution despite the low human health risk posed by exposure to microplastics in drinking-water, as such actions can confer other benefits to the environment and human well-being (WHO, 2019).