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• Plastic waste classified as hazardous waste: new entry A3210 reads "Plastic waste, including mixtures of such waste, containing or contaminated with Annex I constituents, to an extent that it exhibits an Annex III characteristic (note the related entries Y48 in Annex II and on list B B3011).". Examples of hazardous constituents that may be found in plastic waste due to their use as additives in various applications are lead compounds (used as heat or light stabilisers) and organohalogen compounds (e.g. halogenated organic compounds used as flame retardants); Plastic waste requiring special consideration: new entry Y48 covers plastic waste, including mixtures of such wastes except for those falling under entries A3210 or 83011. An example of a plastic waste covered by Y48 is waste polyvinyl chloride. 5. Which plastic wastes will not be subject to the PIC procedure once the entries become effective? As specified in entry 83011, the following plastic waste will not be subject to the PIC procedure, provided it is destined for recycling in an environmentally sound manner and almost free from contamination and other types of wastes: • Plastic waste almost exclusively consisting of one non -halogenated polymer. Such polymers include commonly used ones like polyethylene, polypropelene and polyethelene terephthalate ( PET). • Plastic waste almost exclusively consisting of one cured resin or condensation product. Such resins include urea formaldehyde resins and epoxy resins. • Plastic waste almost exclusively consisting of one of the following fluorinated polymers: • Perfluoroethylene/propylene (FEP) • Perfluoroalkoxy alkanes: • Tetrafluoroethylene/perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether (PFA) • Tetrafluoroethylene/perfluoromethyl vinyl ether (MFA) • Polyvinylfluoride (PVF) • Polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF) The following mixtures of plastic waste will also not be subject to the PIC procedure: • Mixtures of plastic waste, consisting of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and/or polyethylene terephthalate (PET), provided they are destined for separate recycling of each material and in an environmentally sound manner, and almost free from contamination and other types of wastes. 6. What is meant by "environmentally sound recycling"? Footnotes to entries B3011 and Y48 clarify that in the case of recycling of plastic waste almost exclusively consisting of one non -halogenated, one cured resin or the fluorinated polymers covered by entry 83011, recycling refers to recycling/reclamation of organic substances that are not used as solvents (operation R3 in Annex IV, section B, to the Basel Convention) or if needed, temporary storage limited to one instance, provided that it is followed by recycling and evidenced by contractual or relevant official documentation. In the case of mixtures of plastic waste covered by entry 83011, sorting is to be undertaken prior to recycling. The technical guidelines on the identification and environmentally sound management of plastic wastes and for their disposal provide guidance on what is considered as environmentally sound recycling of plastic waste. A version of the guidelines that was adopted by the Conference of the Parties in 2002 is currently being revised by a working group under the Basel Convention to facilitate implementation of the amendments on plastic waste. Further information on the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions 01 11-13, Chemin des Anemones 1219 Chatelaine, Switzerland M Tel: +4122 917 8271 Email: brs@brsmeaseas.or� Website: www.basel.int guidelines and its revision can be found here. 7. Will the new entries bind all Parties to the Basel Convention? The amendments and their new entries will bind all Parties except those that declare they are unable to accept them by notifying the Depository in writing by 24 March 2020 (i.e. within six months from 24 September 2019, the date on which the adoption of the amendments were communicated to Parties by the Depositary). See also the status of ratifications for more details. 8. What measures should Parties take once the entries become effective? It will be up to each Party to take the necessary measures to transpose the new entries into national law, as needed and depending on its legal system. Such measures should be taken in a timely manner to ensure that, on 1 January 2021, each Party is in a position to implement the provisions of the Basel Convention with respect to the plastic wastes listed in entries A3210 and Y48. This includes applying the Prior Informed Consent procedure in case of a transboundary movement of such wastes, but also applying the Convention's provisions with respect to minimizing waste generation and ensuring their environmentally sound management. To assist Parties with these new undertakings, the Conference of the Parties has decided on a range of additional steps to ensure that, once the entries become effective, the world is ready to overcome the plastic waste challenge. To start with, the Plastic Waste Partnership was established to provide a global platform to bring together countries from all over the world, working hand in hand with stakeholders from civil society and the business community to promote the environmentally sound management of plastic waste and prevent and minimize its generation. For more information on the partnership, please see here. Additional guidance on how to ensure, more generally, the environmentally sound management of waste as well as waste prevention and minimization is available in the ESM toolkit. Equally important is the launch of additional technical and legal work: • on how to develop an inventory of plastic wastes; • on the updating of the technical guidelines on the identification and environmentally sound management of Plastic wastes and for their disposal • to consider whether any additional constituents or characteristics in relation to Plastic waste should be added to Annexes I or III. respectively, to the Convention. 9. How can the Stockholm Convention support these efforts? The Stockholm Convention prohibits or restricts the production and use of some of the most hazardous chemicals known as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and requires the environmentally sound management of waste consisting of or containing POPS. Some of these chemicals, e.g. polybrominated diphenyl ethers, have been added to plastics to confer specific properties such as flame retardancy. The sound management of plastic waste containing POPS is important to reduce potential human and environmental exposure to these chemicals which occur for example from uncontrolled burning of plastic waste and leaching from microplastics into the marine environment. By preventing the use of POPS in plastic and the recycling of POPS, the Stockholm Convention facilitates the environmentally sound management of plastic waste. This provides opportunities to address the problem at different stages of the life cycle. �« V�1, ta, U N environment BASEL CONVENTION programme