Santiago, Chile, from 6 to 7 March 2024
Highlights: The Technical Workshop on Chemicals in Plastics, held on 6–7 March 2024 in Santiago, Chile, brought together policymakers and technical experts from the Latin American sub-region. The workshop aimed to enhance awareness and understanding of the role of chemicals in plastics and their impact on human health and the environment, thereby strengthening the science-policy interface and promoting science-based decision-making for the implementation of the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions.
With the international community negotiating a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, discussions focused on enhancing chemical transparency and traceability, identifying priority chemicals for regulation, and supporting informed decision-making through scientific knowledge and regulatory approaches. The workshop also explored effective strategies for managing persistent organic pollutants, particularly PCB, for which the Stockholm Convention sets goals for elimination by 2025 and waste management by 2028.
Over the two-day event, experts and participants explored key elements of a globally harmonized approach to chemical transparency, including labelling, supply chain communication, and regulatory frameworks. Technical presentations provided insights into the implementation of the Basel Convention’s Plastic Waste Amendments as well as findings from UNEP and BRS reports on chemicals of concern in plastics and their global governance.
Sessions also addressed the challenges of plastic waste management, covering issues such as recycling, waste prevention, and environmentally sound disposal methods, while highlighting the importance of aligning national legislation with international commitments. Discussions on the role of chemicals in plastics also integrated social and gender considerations, emphasizing the disproportionate impacts on vulnerable communities.
A dedicated session on PCB elimination facilitated knowledge sharing on progress toward the 2025 and 2028 goals, with countries exchanging best practices and challenges in phasing out PCB use and ensuring its safe disposal. The workshop concluded with a discussion on next steps, identifying potential interventions, capacity-building needs, and further collaborative activities to support countries in implementing effective measures for managing chemicals in plastics.
Organizer: This workshop was organized by the Secretariat of the BRS Conventions, with the support of the Ministerio del Medio Ambiente (MMA) Chile and the Basel Convention Coordinating Centre and Stockholm Convention Regional Centre for Latin America and the Caribbean in Uruguay, thanks to financial support from the European Union and the Government of Norway.
Working Language: Spanish, English
Meeting objectives: The objectives of the two-day workshop were the following:
- Strengthen the science-policy interface to support informed decision-making and enhance awareness for the effective implementation of the BRS Conventions;
- Improve chemical transparency and traceability by discussing globally harmonized approaches, regulatory mechanisms, supply chain communication, and the identification of priority chemicals and chemicals of concern in plastics;
- Advance efforts toward PCB elimination by 2025 and ensure sound waste management by 2028 through regulatory strategies and best practices;
- Foster regional collaboration and capacity-building by facilitating knowledge exchange among policymakers and technical experts in Chile and the Latin American sub-region, contributing to global efforts to address plastic pollution.
Target audience: Official contact points, national focal points, designated national authorities from the Latin American and the Caribbean region.