The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) warned that, without coordinated global action, plastic pollution could triple by 2060, causing devastating impacts on human health, ecosystems, and the global economy.
This warning is part of the negotiation process for an international legal instrument to address this crisis, the development of which was agreed upon by the Member States in 2022.
A treaty with global ambition
The future agreement aims to regulate the full lifecycle of plastics, from design and production to disposal, in order to prevent their leakage into the environment and promote a circular economy.
The foundational document, comprising 22 pages, contains 32 draft articles that will be debated line by line by participating countries.
“Recycling is not enough: we need a systemic transformation,” stated Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP.
Ten days of negotiations in Geneva
From August 5 to 14, a new round of negotiations of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution is taking place at the UN headquarters in Geneva, led by Jyoti Mathur-Filipp. Participants include:
- 179 national delegations
- Over 1900 representatives from 618 observer organizations, including scientists, environmentalists, and industries
One of the key objectives is to share proven solutions, such as plastic-free alternatives and safe substitutes.
Plastics and health: a silent threat
Ahead of the meeting, the journal The Lancet published a stark warning: plastic materials cause diseases at all stages of their lifecycle and affect all stages of human life, with babies and young children being particularly vulnerable.
“Plastics result in health-related economic losses exceeding $1.5 trillion annually,” the report states.
Alarming data on production and waste
According to Mathur-Filipp:
- In 2024, over 500 million tons of plastic were consumed
- Of these, 399 million tons became waste
- Environmental leakage is projected to increase by 50% by 2040
- The cumulative cost of damages could reach $281 trillion between 2016 and 2040
Pathway to a binding agreement
To date, five negotiation rounds have taken place:
- Uruguay (November 2022)
- France and Kenya (2023)
- Canada (April 2024)
- Busan, South Korea (late 2024)
- Geneva (August 2025), under the presidency of Ambassador Luis Vayas Valdivieso from Ecuador
The treaty aims to become a landmark comparable to the Paris Agreement, with global implications for health, the environment, and the economy.
