UPSTREAM CALLS FOR INTEGRATED REUSE STRATEGIES AT UN's INC-2

A Paradigm Shift Towards Reuse and Refill Policies as a Solution to Plastic Pollution

NEW YORK, May 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Non-profit organization Upstream notes a vital opportunity for the reuse movement at the second session of the UN's Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-2), taking place from May 29 to June 2 in Paris. This significant event, committed to forging a comprehensive international treaty to curb plastic pollution, provides a platform for Upstream and their partners to underline the critical necessity of embedding key reuse strategies within the global policy framework.

Upstream's Chief Strategy Officer & Interim CEO, Dr. Priscilla Johnson, will be speaking at a workshop on the sidelines of the conference, organized by the US Dept of State and USDA, titled Galvanizing Global Action on Plastic Pollution.

The primary messages Upstream would like to relay to Treaty negotiators include:

• Emphasizing that all single-use materials are problematic. We must replace single-use with reuse to avoid the worst impacts of extraction, manufacture, and disposal of Earth's limited resources.
• Ensure a legally binding treaty (rather than voluntary measures): Standing strong with the #BreakFreeFromPlastic movement, Upstream supports the introduction of legally binding, time-bound, ambitious targets to implement and scale reuse and refill.
• Endorsing green job creation through reuse: The paradigm shift to a New Reuse Economy will generate numerous job opportunities within local and regional supply chains, promoting sustainable livelihoods and social equity.

Upstream raises a cautionary note against the potential pitfalls of single-use substitutes, discouraging the adoption of "regrettable substitutes" that merely transition from single-use plastic to other single-use packaging or products. They instead promote the vast benefits of the new reuse economy, emphasizing the creation of shared infrastructure, and underscoring the importance of collaboration among companies to achieve collective reuse goals.

"The incorporation of reuse strategies in this treaty is absolutely essential. It's our shot at a sweeping, global transformation in waste management, carrying profound implications for our planet's future," emphasizes Dr. Johnson.

For more information on Upstream's participation at side talks in Paris during INC-2 and their ongoing efforts in the reuse movement, visit upstreamsolutions.org/blog/inc-2.

About Upstream

Upstream is a US-based non-profit sparking innovative solutions to plastic pollution by helping people, businesses and communities shift from single-use to reuse. The organization's third annual Reuse Awards (The Reusies), will take place on June 7, 2023. Learn more at www.upstreamsolutions.org.

Media Contact: Vanessa Tiongson, [email protected]

SOURCE Upstream