A peer-reviewed article published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment on March 6, 2025, explores the role of plastics in food systems with respect to plastic and plastic chemical pollution. The work was led by Joe Yates from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in London, UK, and co-authored by Jane Muncke from the Food Packaging Forum.
Food systems are major drivers and recipients of plastic and plastic chemical pollution, impacting human and planetary health. They are widely used across entire food systems, including production, processing, and packaging. According to the article, the food and drink packaging industry represents an estimated 10 – 20% of all plastics ever produced. Yates and co-authors argue that this plastic usage is currently not well-recognized in global policy, scientific discourse, agendas, and monitoring of food systems. Current evidence shows that “[…] many food-related plastics may pose medium- to long-term threats to people and planet,” they state.
Food systems are highly complex, with many different actors and areas where plastics are applied. Additionally, food systems are only one of many contributors to plastic pollution. The authors describe vicious cycles where plastic pollution from non-food system sources can impact climate or soil quality, which may in turn require additional plastic usage to cope with unfavorable conditions. This complexity, the authors assert, illustrates “[…] the need for a whole food systems approach to ensure synergies with broader multi-sectoral responses to plastic pollution in all its forms.”
To fill existing knowledge gaps and avoid unintended consequences of potential future policies, the authors suggest using a set of key indicators to monitor plastics within food systems. Some of these include:
- Virgin and recycled plastics used across food supply chains
- Plastic chemicals of concern across food system plastics
- Land exposed to agricultural plastics
- Food-related plastics and plastic waste import/exports
- Greenhouse gas emissions of the full lifecycle of plastics across food supply chains
- Disease burden and costs of plastics (and plastic chemicals) attributable to food supply chains
The article emphasizes that recognizing the challenge of plastics at the food systems level will both require and enable improved interdisciplinary collaboration. This is especially relevant for the ongoing negotiations of a global plastics treaty by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which offers a critical opportunity to address plastic pollution globally. UN member states failed to finalize a legally binding treaty at the fifth and supposedly last session of the Intergovernmental Negotiation Committee (INC-5) in Busan, Republic of Korea this past November. As a result, the negotiations will be extended and continue on August 5 – 14, 2025, in Geneva, Switzerland.
Reference
Yates, J. et al. (2025) “Plastics matter in the food system.” Communications Earth & Environment, DOI: 10.1038/s43247-025-02105-7
