The Styrenics industry, represented by the Association of European Manufacturers of Expanded Polystyrene (EUMEPS), Smart Packaging Europe, EPS Industry Alliance, Styrenics Circular Solutions (SCS) and the Styrenics product group of Plastics Europe, has submitted a position paper providing comments to the supporting document UNEP/PP/INC.1/7 – “Plastics Science” for the first session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-1) to develop a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, which took place between 28 November and 2 December 2022 in Punta del Este, Uruguay.

While the stated aim of UNEP/PP/INC.1/7 – “Plastics Science” is to provide INC with the latest available information on plastic pollution science, it contains an erroneous classification of Polystyrene (PS) and Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) as “problematic or unnecessary polymers” and as a result, puts forward an unjustified and inappropriate proposal to consider a ban of these polymers in packaging. This proposal fails to recognize their unique functional and environmental properties, including circular characteristics, as well as the actual recycling achievements.

Read the full Position Paper here
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