From a global plastics treaty and emerging science-policy frameworks to persistent health, safety and governance challenges on the ground, 2026 marks a critical convergence point for how waste is managed worldwide, writes Circular Online editor, Darrel Moore.
As we move deeper into the third decade of the 21st century, the global community faces accelerating environmental and social challenges that hinge critically on how waste and resources are managed. From plastic pollution choking natural systems to informal dumping undermining public health in many countries, waste governance is no longer a niche policy concern. It sits at the intersection of environmental protection, economic resilience, public health and human rights.
Against this backdrop, 2026 stands out as a pivotal year for global waste governance. A series of international policy processes, scientific initiatives and operational pressures are converging, bringing renewed attention to long-standing weaknesses in waste systems. The question is no longer whether change is needed, but whether governance frameworks can move quickly enough—and collaboratively enough—to deliver it.
This context matters as the global waste and resource management community prepares to gather at the ISWA World Congress 2026, hosted by CIWM in partnership with the International Solid Waste Association. The Congress takes place within a broader period of international dialogue about how waste is governed, financed and delivered across different regions.
A tipping point for global frameworks
One of the most consequential developments shaping this moment is the proposed global plastics treaty—a landmark effort to address plastic pollution across its full lifecycle, from production to disposal. Mandated in 2022 by the United Nations Environment Assembly, the treaty aims to curb the flow of plastics into ecosystems, promote circular use of materials, and reduce the health and climate impacts associated with plastic waste.
Progress has not been straightforward. Negotiations have exposed deep divisions between countries with different economic interests, regulatory capacities and waste infrastructures. Yet momentum continues to build around the recognition that voluntary measures alone are insufficient. A robust, legally binding agreement has the potential to unlock investment, set global baselines, and provide clarity for governments and industry alike.
By 2026, pressure is expected to intensify on the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee either to deliver a meaningful agreement or to confront the consequences of continued fragmentation. Whatever the outcome, the direction of travel will have lasting implications for how plastic waste is regulated, financed and managed worldwide.
2026 is also expected to mark the early operational phase of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution (ISP-CWP)[..] intended to strengthen the link between scientific evidence and policy decision-making in areas that have historically suffered from weak data and inconsistent oversight.
Alongside treaty negotiations, 2026 is also expected to mark the early operational phase of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution (ISP-CWP), including inaugural plenary discussions. Modelled on bodies such as the IPCC and IPBES, the panel is intended to strengthen the link between scientific evidence and policy decision-making in areas that have historically suffered from weak data and inconsistent oversight.
This represents a significant shift. Waste and pollution policy has often lagged behind other environmental domains in terms of scientific coordination and international credibility. The ISP-CWP signals growing recognition that effective waste governance depends not only on political will, but on shared evidence, comparable metrics and a clearer understanding of risk.
For practitioners, this could translate into more consistent standards, better-informed regulation and stronger accountability—provided that evidence is matched by the capacity to act on it.
Health, safety and the human cost of waste
Health and safety is an increasingly central dimension of the global waste governance conversation, and one that brings abstract policy debates into sharper human focus. Across the waste value chain—from collection and sorting to recycling, treatment and disposal—workers are exposed to physical hazards, chemical risks and long-term health impacts. These risks are magnified where waste systems are informal, under-resourced or weakly regulated.
In many low- and middle-income countries, unsafe handling of waste remains common, with limited access to protective equipment, training or medical support. Even in more mature systems, the sector continues to face challenges related to vehicle safety, manual handling, exposure to hazardous substances and emerging risks linked to new waste streams such as batteries and electronic waste.
As global attention turns toward higher environmental standards and circular economy ambitions, there is growing recognition that progress must not come at the expense of worker safety. Governance frameworks that prioritise health and safety—through regulation, enforcement, professional standards and skills development—are essential if waste systems are to be both sustainable and just. In this sense, health and safety is not a peripheral issue, but a core test of whether waste governance is working in practice.
Governance gaps on the ground
High-level frameworks, however, only tell part of the story. 2026 also brings renewed attention to persistent operational and governance failures, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. In many regions, open dumping, uncontrolled burning and unsafe handling remain widespread, with severe consequences for workers, communities and the environment.
A stark example can be seen in findings from Transparency International Bangladesh, which report that the vast majority of e-waste in the country continues to be processed informally. Such systems often operate beyond regulatory oversight, exposing workers to hazardous substances and allowing pollution to spread unchecked.
The vast majority of e-waste in [Bangladesh] continues to be processed informally. Such systems often operate beyond regulatory oversight, exposing workers to hazardous substances and allowing pollution to spread unchecked.
These realities underline a central challenge for global waste governance: ambition must be matched by implementation. International agreements and science-policy mechanisms will only succeed if they translate into safer working conditions, improved infrastructure and enforceable standards at local level.
It is within this complex and uneven landscape that international collaboration becomes essential. Waste governance cannot be solved in isolation. Materials cross borders, markets are interconnected, and policy failures in one region can have global consequences.
This is where forums such as the ISWA World Congress play an important role. By bringing together policymakers, practitioners, researchers and industry from across the world, the Congress provides space to examine what is working, what is not, and why. Its thematic focus—spanning human rights, political commitment, waste planning, economic frameworks and circular economy principles—reflects the reality that waste is as much a governance challenge as a technical one.
Crucially, abstract submissions for the 2026 Congress are now open, inviting contributions that address these shared challenges with evidence, experience and critical insight. In a year where policy direction remains contested, such contributions help build the collective understanding needed to move from aspiration to delivery.
Circular economy under pressure
Running through many of these debates is the continued push toward a circular economy. The principle is widely endorsed: keeping materials in use for longer through reuse, repair and recycling, rather than relying on linear “take-make-dispose” models. In theory, circularity offers environmental benefits, economic opportunities and greater resource security.
In practice, 2026 will test how resilient these ambitions are. Economic uncertainty, geopolitical tension and uneven regulatory capacity all place pressure on circular systems. Whether circular economy principles can move beyond policy statements and become embedded in waste governance will depend on coordinated action, credible data and sustained investment.
Taken together, these dynamics make 2026 an inflection point for global waste governance. Decisions made during this period—on plastics, on science-policy integration, on worker safety and informal systems—will shape waste management for decades to come.
The ISWA World Congress 2026 sits firmly within this wider moment. Bringing together policymakers, practitioners, researchers and industry leaders from across the world, it offers a vital space to reflect, challenge assumptions and share practical solutions at a time when direction, delivery and credibility all matter.
Abstract submissions for the Congress are now open, inviting evidence-based contributions that speak directly to these shared challenges. Early bird tickets are also available, offering reduced rates for those planning ahead to attend and participate in what promises to be one of the most significant global waste events of the decade.
For further information on submitting an abstract or securing early bird tickets, visit the ISWA World Congress 2026.