This briefing, developed with the support of more than 70 civil society organisations ahead of OEWG-15 to the Basel Convention, outlines why textile waste has become a major governance gap in the global waste trade system. It highlights serious concerns for environmentally sound management and calls on Parties to the Basel Convention to close this loophole by subjecting textiles to stronger international oversight.
Microplastics should be meaningfully brought back into the treaty with provisions to monitor, report, research and mitigate via a start-and-strengthen approach. Based on science already available, the failure to set out a specific vision and approach for microplastics within the treaty would leave everyone scratching their heads at the omission before the ink even dries.
The Global Plastics Treaty negotiations have reached a decisive political moment. The election of Chile’s Julio Cordano as Chair of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) and the launch of a series of informal dialogues in Kyoto signal a renewed effort to rebuild trust and stalled momentum after failing to conclude negotiations in Geneva in August 2025.
Submission by the EIA in response to the Basel Convention Secretariat’s request for comments on the plastic waste amendments and possible further activities that could be conducted on plastic waste.
Submission by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) in response to the Basel convention secretariat’s information request on textiles EIA is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) with more than 40 years of experience investigating environmental crime and supporting effective policy development and implementation at the international, regional and national levels, including the Basel Convention and the European […]
Explore urgent strategies to deliver a strong global plastics treaty and end plastic pollution after stalled UN negotiations.