Topics
global plastics treaty
August 21, 2025
Extended plastic treaty talks in Geneva, Switzerland conclude without a global agreement; proposed treaty text would not have fulfilled the mandate to end plastic pollution considering the independent scientific evidence; Food Packaging Forum delegation on the ground supported the Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty; negotiations to reconvene at a later stage, date and place to be announced
Topics: global plastics treaty, plastics
Reading time: 3 minutes
August 4, 2025
A new report published in The Lancet outlines up-to-date scientific evidence on health impacts from plastic pollution; identifies plastic pollution as a serious threat to human health; launches independent monitoring system on plastic life-cycle indicators; launches ahead of UN plastics treaty negotiations
Reading time: 2 minutes
March 6, 2025
Article published in Communications Earth & Environment explores plastics in food systems as a major driver of plastic and chemical pollution; calls for this to be reflected across food systems discussions, greater monitoring efforts and interdisciplinary research to close knowledge gaps; harmonized and whole system approach needed to avoid unintended consequences of future policies; next UN-led negotiations for a global plastics treaty in August 2025 present a key opportunity to address this issue
Reading time: 2 minutes
February 3, 2025
European Parliament and World Economic Forum hold sessions discussing the best approaches to plastic regulation after failed global plastics treaty negotiations; agree plastic is a problem, but disagree on how to address it; debate roles of businesses, governments, and international community in future legislations
Reading time: 4 minutes
December 17, 2024
Fifth and planned final session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution took place in Busan, Republic of Korea on Nov 25 to Dec 2, 2024; no agreement was reached on the treaty text; extra session to continue negotiations being planned for sometime in 2025
Reading time: 3 minutes
August 6, 2024
White House releases plan to reduce impacts of plastic across the entire lifecycle; aims to eliminate single-use plastic in federal food service by 2027, and in all federal operations by 2045
Reading time: 2 minutes
May 24, 2024
Fourth round of negotiations for a new global instrument on plastic pollution took place in Ottawa, Canada from April 23 – 29, 2024; member states agree on intersessional work to be carried out on financial mechanisms and chemicals of concern ahead of upcoming final session; no agreement on reducing primary plastic production; concerns raised over industry lobbyists outnumbering scientists and many national delegations; final INC-5 meeting set to take place in Busan, Republic of Korea on November 25 – December 1, 2024
Reading time: 4 minutes
April 24, 2024
Surveys by Greenpeace and World Wildlife Fund investigate public opinion on plastic reduction; 82% in favor of reducing plastic production; 90% support prohibition of harmful chemicals in plastic
Topics: consumer survey, global plastics treaty
Reading time: 2 minutes
March 15, 2024
Report maps scientific data on more than 16,000 plastic chemicals; finds gaps in current governance and knowledge that prevent effective management; recommends policy actions based on current state-of-the-science
Reading time: 2 minutes
November 29, 2023
Meeting in Nairobi ends with no consensus on intersessional work needed before next meeting; Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty represented by 37 scientists, including team members from the Food Packaging Forum; expanded and revised version of Zero Draft based on member state inputs to be published by December 31, 2023; next round of negotiations to take place in Ottawa, Canada on April 21 – 30, 2024
Reading time: 4 minutes
