Civil society coalition calls for strong plastic treaties
By Allen Valentine, August 1, 2025A Kenyan civil society group is calling on African governments to boldly demand and push for an ambitious, legally binding treaty.
As the Kenyan Civil Society Coalition to End Plastic Pollution gears up for the fifth resumed session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2) on the Global Plastics Treaty, the organisations said the treaty must be fit for purpose; protecting human health and the environment from plastic pollution across its lifecycle.
This commitment was announced during a media breakfast in Nairobi, organised by the Centre for Environmental Justice and Development (CEJAD), in partnership with Heinrich Boll Foundation (HBF).
Binding treaty
“This is an opportunity for Africa to assert its position, protect its people, and shape an ambitious, legally binding treaty that delivers real, systemic change. Let this treaty reflect the lived realities of our people, not the boardroom interests of petrochemical companies as witnessed over the past negotiations,” said Griffins Ochieng, Executive Director of CEJAD.
INC-5.2 negotiations, scheduled to take place in Geneva from August 5 to August 14, marks a critical juncture in the global effort to end plastic pollution. The goal of the negotiations this time round is to finalise the treaty, addressing various aspects of plastic pollution across its lifecycle, including production, chemicals of concern, design, trade, waste management, and a just transition.
Governments, including Kenya, have taken commendable steps to address plastic pollution.
However, while waste separation and recycling efforts are important, they remain insufficient as long as plastic production continues to rise unchecked. Recycling is however not a silver bullet; it often shifts the problem rather than solving it. Comprehensive solutions and sustainable alternatives that address the plastic lifecycle from production to disposal are needed.
“Kenya’s single-use plastic ban showed that policy works, but real progress requires going beyond recycling to tackle the root cause: overproduction. A binding global treaty must shift us from managing plastic waste to ending plastic waste.” Fredrick Njau, Programme Coordinator, Sustainable Development Programme, HBF.
African nations as primary importers of plastic products suffer the most from toxic air pollution, polluted waterways, destroyed ecosystems, and overwhelmed waste systems.
Scientific evidence, including a recent report by CEJAD Dangerous Fun, reveals the presence and prevalence of hazardous chemicals in plastic products linked to cancer, respiratory illnesses, reproductive disorders, and other serious non-communicable diseases.