The available independent scientific evidence demonstrates that plastics and its associated chemicals are destabilizing the biosphere, disrupting basic Earth system processes, harming the natural environment and living organisms including humans, and threatening the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment (FPF reported, here and here).
To combat plastic pollution, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has been hosting the Intergovernmental Negotiation Committee (INC), where 184 Member States are discussing a global legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution. After the previous round of negotiations in late 2024 at the fifth INC session in Busan, South Korea did not conclude with a treaty, Member States and observes reconvened at INC-5.2 in Geneva, Switzerland from August 4 to August 15, 2025 (FPF reported).
After ten days of further negotiations, countries could not yet agree on a new global plastics treaty. A large group of countries dissatisfied with the proposed text refused to accept a weak agreement that falls short of protecting environmental and human health. The most recently proposed draft text would not have been able to fulfill the UNEA 5/14 mandate to end plastic pollution when considering the scientific evidence (FPF reported). The committee has now agreed to extend the negotiations into yet another meeting session with dates and location still to be determined.
Among the most contentious provisions were effective obligations to reach sustainable levels of plastic production, addressing health, and accounting for impacts across the full life cycle of plastics. While a small group of countries actively denied the scientific evidence for why such provisions would be essential to protecting the environment and human health, most of the Member States engaged constructively with it.
A delegation from the Food Packaging Forum (FPF) was present on the ground in Geneva as part of the Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty to support the Coalition’s science communication and capacity building with Member State delegates. Joel Scheuchzer and Justin Boucher coordinated communication efforts within the Scientists’ Coalition, including a daily newsletter highlighting relevant science at INC-5.2 (FPF reported). Jane Muncke focused on communicating the science related to health in the global plastics treaty, including the known health impacts of plastic chemicals of concern across the full life cycle of plastics.
FPF board member Dagny Tucker, co-founder and co-executive director of Perpetual, was also present to lead discussions surrounding efficient and safe reusable foodware systems. Leonardo Trasande from FPF’s scientific advisory board spoke about endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) at various side events while representing the Endocrine Society. Interested readers can subscribe to the Scientists’ Coalition newsletter for future updates.
References
Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty (August 15, 2025) “Independent Science Ready to Support Next Steps to Achieve an Effective Plastics Treaty.”
Read more
Laura Paddlson (August 15, 2025) “Global plastic treaty talks end in failure as countries remain bitterly divided over how to tackle the crisis.” CNN
Esme Stallard and Mark Poynting (August 15, 2025) “Global plastic talks collapse as countries remain deeply divided.” BBC
Karen McVeigh, and Emma Bryce (August 15, 2025) “Plastic pollution talks fail as negotiators in Geneva reject draft treaties.” The Guardian
