By Catherine Chevauché,
Director, Circular Economy, Veolia,
Chair of ISO’s technical committee on circular economy
LinkedIn
In a quiet fishing village off the coast of Brittany, generations have made their livelihoods from the sea. But today, the nets bring in more than just fish. Tangled within them are fragments of discarded plastic: bottle caps, packaging film, fishing gear. The crisis isn’t far away anymore. It’s everywhere – in the food we eat, the water we drink, and even the air we breathe.
Over the next two weeks, as global negotiators gather in Geneva for the second part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2), the world will be watching. After years of mounting pressure, governments are working to finalize a groundbreaking international treaty to end plastic pollution. It’s a historic opportunity – but policy alone won’t save our oceans.
If we’re serious about tackling the plastic crisis, we must also equip ourselves with the tools to make real change. That’s where International Standards come in.
The quiet force behind plastic solutions
For decades, ISO has been developing science-based, consensus-driven solutions that support sustainability. Standards may not make headlines, but they quietly power everything from the durability of your reusable coffee cup to the sorting technology at your local recycling plant.
Today, ISO’s work is more urgent than ever. From ISO 15270 on plastic recycling to standards for environmental labelling, the organization provides concrete methods to reduce waste and increase circularity. ISO/TC 323 on circular economy – the committee I chair – has been working closely with technical committees on plastics, packaging and waste management to ensure our standards reflect the interconnected nature of these challenges.
By offering practical frameworks for managing plastics across their entire life cycle – from material design and product labelling to recycling performance and environmental claims – ISO standards help prevent and reduce waste at the source, strengthen collection and reuse systems, and accelerate the transition to a circular economy.
Crucially, these tools are already in use: guiding industries to embed circularity into business models, improve traceability and track progress using common metrics. We are no longer talking about what might work. These are proven, applicable solutions that countries and companies can use today.
The treaty is just the beginning
The success of the global plastic treaty will depend on implementation. Countries will need to translate ambition into law, infrastructure and business practice – and fast.
Here too, standards play a vital role. They turn high-level goals into actionable steps: measurable, verifiable and globally aligned. For instance, if the treaty calls for less production, reduced plastic leakage or greater recycled content, standards can define how these are measured, reported and verified, ensuring consistency across borders and industries.
That consistency is key. Without it, we risk fragmentation: different countries interpreting the treaty in different ways, leading to inefficiencies and loopholes. Standards offer a common language that connects policy to practice, and ambition to accountability.
And because ISO brings together experts from over 170 countries – including governments, civil society, academia and business – our standards reflect a truly global consensus. That makes them uniquely suited to support treaty implementation in ways that are fair, inclusive and effective.
A win for business and the planet
For industry, standards aren’t just about compliance, they’re a catalyst for innovation and competitiveness.
They give businesses confidence that their products, processes and performance claims meet global expectations. They reduce duplication, eliminate market barriers, and enable companies to invest in scalable, interoperable solutions. That’s especially important for small and medium-sized enterprises, which may lack the resources to develop bespoke approaches.
Circular economy standards, for example, help organizations add value to resources through circular design, sustainable sourcing, territorial symbiosis, and more. They support the preservation of resource value – through practices such as reducing, reusing and repairing – and facilitate value recovery through end-of-life strategies. In doing so, they enable the transition from linear to circular business models, unlocking new value networks and job opportunities.
And because ISO standards are based on the latest science and best practices, they help businesses stay ahead of the curve – while saving time, cost and reputational risk.
Shared responsibility, shared opportunity
As negotiators gather at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, I urge them to look beyond the treaty’s wording and consider the practical scaffolding needed to turn global ambition into daily reality. Treaties articulate the “what”. Standards deliver the “how”.
ISO stands ready – not only with existing solutions, but with a proven, inclusive platform for developing new ones that are grounded in scientific consensus and real-world need. As Chair of ISO/TC 323, I’ve seen first-hand the transformative power of collaboration across borders and sectors. Our work is rooted in the principle that circularity is not a siloed issue – it is systemic, and it must be approached as such.
We can help bridge the gap between political will and practical action, ensuring the treaty doesn’t just live on paper but transforms how societies manage plastics across borders, sectors and generations.
Because ultimately, this isn’t just about plastic waste. It’s about rethinking our relationship with materials, with production and with the planet itself. It’s about designing economies that regenerate rather than deplete. It’s about ensuring that a child standing on a beach ten years from now sees seashells – not single-use bottles.
The global plastics treaty will be a milestone. But whether it becomes a turning point depends on what happens next. Let’s ensure it comes with the tools, trust and traction to succeed.
And let’s build that future together – standard by standard.