Geneva – At the 11th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Stockholm Convention this week, more than 120 countries agreed to add two toxic plastic chemicals and a pesticide to the agreement’s list of substances for global elimination, but included exemptions that will permit continued use of the plastic chemicals. The delegates to the COP found that the chemicals, the plastic additive UV-328, the flame retardant Dechlorane Plus (also often used in plastics), and the pesticide methoxychlor all meet the Convention criteria as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) required for a global ban.
Several countries also called for specific requirements that would make it possible to identify materials and wastes containing Dechlorane Plus and UV-328. However, while there are provisions in the Convention to identify these “to the extent practicable,” some Parties were strongly opposed to including requirements for labeling or other means of identification in these two listing decisions. Instead, the Convention’s scientific review committee is tasked with evaluating options for identifying POPs in products and waste.
