As countries prepare to come together to negotiate a UN Global Plastics Treaty to tackle plastic pollution, it is crucial that the final text is robust and ambitious, covering every stage of the plastic pollution crisis from production to remediation.
These negotiations represent the last opportunity under this current process to agree a treaty to combat global plastic pollution, including plastic pellets. As negotiations get underway, individuals and organisations around the world are calling on governments for ambition and courage at these final negotiations to agree a strong and effective final treaty.
The treaty Process
The final round of negotiations for a UN Global Plastics Treaty (known as INC5.2) are about to begin in Geneva, Switzerland (5th – 14th August 2025). This final round of negotiations comes three years on from UNEA 5.2, which adopted resolution 5/14 and mandated development of an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (often referred to as the UN Global Plastics Treaty).
INC5.2 is the resumption of the previous round of negotiations which took place in December 2024 (known as INC5), but were suspended after nations were unable to come to agreement on a final treaty text. At INC5.2, delegates from governments around the world will be coming together to discuss key issues such as plastic production reduction and chemicals in plastics. They will also be joined by civil society observers, scientists and industry representatives. Fidra has been supporting NGOs with analysis of the treaty text on pellets and supplying information on pellets to delegates and observers to secure strong provision on pellets.
Why address plastic pellets in the treaty?
Plastic pellets (including flakes and powders) are primary microplastics and the industrial feedstock used to make almost all plastic products. Pellets can be made from virgin, recycled or bio plastics. Each year over 445,000 tonnes of plastic pellets enter the environment around the world from across the plastic pellet supply chain (including during production, transport by land and sea, conversion, recycling and handling), making pellets the second largest source of primary microplastic pollution and posing a major risk to wildlife, communities and industries around the world.
Plastic pellet pollution has been identified in nations from Switzerland to South Korea, Canada to Kenya and beyond. Even nations who do not produce pellets are at risk of transboundary pellet pollution. But this doesn’t need to be the case, as research shows, 95% of pellet pollution is preventable through mandatory best practice requirements, certification and independent third party audits across the supply chain.
Plastic pellet pollution is a global issue and requires a global response. A strong UN global plastics treaty presents an important opportunity to address global plastic pellet pollution across the full plastic supply chain.
Set backs and progress since the last round of negotiations
Devastating spills highlight the urgent need for action
Since the previous round of negotiations took place in December 2024, the world has seen continued pellet pollution, including two more devastating plastic pellet spills at sea, which resulted in the release of billions of plastic pellets into the environment.
Plastic pellets cover a beach in India, following the sinking of MSC Elsa 3 (image credit Shaunak Modi)
In March 2025, the container ship Solong collided with the oil tanker Stena Immaculate off England’s east coast. Soon after plastic pellets washed up on the England’s east coast, including in internationally important conservation areas. The subsequent clean up response saw over 10,000kg of plastic recovered from beaches, but more pellets have continued to wash up. Only two months later, in May 2025, container ship MSC Elsa 3 sank off the coast of the Indian state of Kerala. The sinking resulted in the releasing of large amounts of plastic pellets into the environment. In the following days millions of plastic pellets washed up on beaches along a wide stretch of coastline. Over the following weeks pellets have spread far from the source of the spill, reaching Tamil Nadu state and Sri Lanka.
Individual and melted clumps of plastic pellets washed in conservation areas on England's east coast following a shipping collision
The impacts of both these spills are ongoing, effecting wildlife, communities and local industries such as fishing and tourism. Plastic pellets will remain in the environment for many years and are extremely difficult to remove, while also being highly mobile and able to spread far from the source of pollution.
These spills, which occurred oceans apart, once again demonstrate the urgent need for international regulation to prevent pellet spills (on land and sea) and ensure fast and effective spill response procedures are in place to limit impacts when spills do occur.
Sri Lanka orders compensation paid for impacts of X-press pearl
Tragically this is not the first time that the Indian Ocean and Sri Lanka has been impacted by a major spill. In 2021, the container ship X-Press Pearl caught fire and sank off Sri Lanka’s west coast. This resulted in the release of 1,600 tonnes of plastic pellets into the environment, with some beaches covered up to 2 metres deep in plastic pellets as they washed up along the coast. This has been recognised as the world worst recorded pellet spill. In the years since the X-Press Pearl disaster, Sri Lanka has sought compensation for the impacts of the disaster.
In July 2025, the Sri Lankan Supreme Court ordered that the ‘X-Press Pearl Group’ (which includes owners, operators and local agents) pay $1billion to the Sri Lanka treasury in compensation. This followed the filing of multiple petitions by groups including environment groups, fishers and clergy, with the court finding that the petitioners fundamental rights had been violated and by extension those of the people of Sri Lanka as a result of the disaster. This ruling is an important precedent for claiming remediation following a pellet spill incident from those responsible.
However, the ruling coming four years after the incident also highlights to need for effective systems for remediation and compensation to be in place to ensure timely restoration of habitats and local economies. The repercussions of the X-Press Pearl disaster continue to impact Sri Lanka to this day, demonstrating the long-lasting legacy of pellet pollution.
New regulation to address pellet pollution
In April 2025, the European Union adopted new legally binding regulation to prevent plastic pellet loss across the supply chain throughout the region. This new regulation includes requirements for mandatory loss prevention measures at every stage of the pellet supply chain, including terrestrial and maritime sources, recognising pellet loss occurs throughout the supply chain. This regional regulation sets and important precedent for others to follow in implementing regulation to address pellet pollution and shows such action is achievable and can be strengthened by a robust plastics treaty.
Addressing plastic pellet pollution in the Global Plastics Treaty
The UN global plastics treaty is a major opportunity to address global plastic pellet pollution across the full plastic pellet supply chain. To effectively be addressed, pellet pollution must retain its own provisions within the treaty text (currently under Article 7). This must include:
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All plastic feedstocks, including primary, recycled, fossil fuel and biomass derived plastic in flake, powder and pellet forms
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All sectors and companies across the full supply chain, including producers, converters, waste handlers, transporters (on land and sea) and actors handling pellets at all points.
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Mandatory loss prevention measures with specific minimum requirements
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Requirements for independent standards and certification schemes to demonstrate compliance.
Compensation and remediation for pellet pollution should also be addressed in the treaty by enshrining the prevention hierarchy (prevention, containment, clean-up) with ecologically sensitive clean-up and restoration/ mitigation measures where needed.
As plastic feedstock, pellets are the starting point of most subsequent plastic pollution. An overarching agreement within the treaty to reduce plastic production is needed to address the world plastic crisis, while also resulting in a reduction in plastic pellets passing through global supply chains and demand for plastic production decreased, thus reducing the potential for pellet loss and spills to occur throughout the supply chain.
Microplastics in the Global Plastics Treaty
As plastic pellets are microplastics (<5mm in size in any dimension), a number of additional articles within the treaty text which address microplastics are also pertinent to plastic pellets. Details and text recommendations relating to microplastics in these articles can be found here - Microplastics 101: An evidence-based overview of microplastic pollution.
Last chance for a UN Global Plastics Treaty
INC5.2 represents the last chance in this current process to achieve an ambitious UN Global Plastics Treaty. As negotiations get underway in Geneva, individuals, groups and nations around the world are calling for an ambitious treaty to address the global plastic pollution crisis, though challenges in achieving this remain. As pellet pollution continues to spill into the environment, impacting wildlife, communities and economies across the world, the urgent need for a strong Global Plastics Treaty to effectively address global pellet pollution is clear.
Further information and resources
Further information and resources relating to the UN Global Plastics Treaty INC5.2 can be found by following the links below. Additional information and resources on plastic pellet pollution can be found on our information hub:
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Fidra INC5.2 webpage – find INC5.2 resources and information relating to plastic pellet pollution
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Microplastics 101: An evidence-based overview of microplastic pollution – Microplastics brief including plastic pellets and treaty text recommendations
- Plastic Pellets Brief - Brief explaining the global issue of plastic pellet pollution, and how pellet pollution can be effectively addressed through the UN Global Plastics Treaty
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Webinar - Plastic Pellets and the Global Plastics Treaty: Key insights ahead of INC 5.2
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Primers – National and regional focused plastic pellet primers