Every year, the world produces over 450 million tonnes of plastic. Half of it is single-use, and less than 10% is recycled. As the final negotiations of the UN Global Plastics Treaty approach this August in Geneva, hopes are high for a binding international agreement that could finally curb the plastic crisis humanity has entangled itself in since the material's invention in 1907.
The Geneva summit, running from August 5 to 14, 2025, aims to establish a legally binding framework to reduce plastic pollution, addressing the entire life cycle of plastics—from design and production to disposal and waste management. The treaty follows the breakdown of talks in December 2024 in Busan, South Korea, where industry lobbying derailed any consensus on limiting plastic production.
Today, the vast majority of plastic waste ends up in landfills, ecosystems, or oceans, or degrades into micro- and nano-plastics that infiltrate human bodies and organs. According to the OECD, plastic production has doubled over the past 20 years and is set to triple by 2060, threatening an unchecked "tsunami" of pollution.
The Plastic Spiral
At the core of the treaty is the proposal to cap global plastic production and gradually reduce it. Experts warn that over 16,000 chemicals are used in plastics, most derived from fossil fuels, and the health impacts of over 60% of these substances remain unknown.
A recent study by NYU's Grossman School of Medicine found that over 41% of global deaths linked to toxic plastic chemicals occur in the Middle East and South Asia, followed by East Asia and the Pacific at 31%. The main culprit: DEHP (Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate), a plastic-softening chemical found in everything from food packaging to medical tubing. In 2018 alone, it contributed to over 356,000 deaths, mostly due to plastic exposure.
Microplastic particles are linked to 13.5% of cardiovascular deaths among adults aged 55 to 64. Tire erosion particles alone account for 45% of microplastics in both terrestrial and aquatic environments. Each year, an estimated 8 million metric tonnes of plastic enter the oceans, including 236,000 tonnes of microplastics—equivalent to more than one garbage truck's worth dumped every minute.
This plastic pollution warms and acidifies the oceans, destroys biodiversity, and weakens their ability to absorb carbon. Plastics also emit 1.8 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases annually—more than the combined emissions of the aviation and shipping industries.
Plastic Profits vs. Planetary Health
A 2022 Dalberg report estimated the cost of plastic produced in 2019 at $3.7 trillion—more than India's GDP—including environmental, societal, and economic damages. Yet the industry is a powerful economic force, valued at $524 billion in 2024, with the U.S. alone importing $14 billion worth annually.
Major U.S. plastic producers and petrochemical lobbies have consistently undermined treaty negotiations, opposing production caps and advocating instead for improved recycling and waste management—a stance aligned with the Trump administration's broader rollback of environmental protections.
Since 2022, treaty talks have seen fierce resistance from fossil fuel-producing nations and industrial lobbies. Over 100 countries, along with scientists and environmental organizations, call for firm production limits. But lobbying by the plastic and petrochemical industries has skewed negotiations.
David Azoulay of the Center for International Environmental Law told The Guardian: "The amount of plastic we produce today is completely unmanageable—technically and politically. The industry's goal is to produce more plastic, then find ways to mitigate the damage."
A leaked document obtained by The Guardian revealed that industrial lobbyists have a disproportionate influence on the treaty, sidelining science and weakening the agreement's potential impact.
As the final round in Geneva approaches, the world faces a stark choice: continue down the toxic spiral of plastic addiction or commit to a safer, sustainable future. Scientists argue that plastic pollution is a planetary threat poisoning ecosystems and vital resources. But solutions exist—notably, a phased reduction of plastic production at the source and robust international agreements like the Global Plastics Treaty.
Ultimately, the treaty's success could mean fewer chronic illnesses, lower cancer rates, a reduction in environmental destruction and climate change, and billions saved in healthcare costs. More than that, it would mark a decisive shift away from an economy that sacrifices lives for profit toward one that values life, sustainability, and collective survival.
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