Plastics have infiltrated ecosystems and bodies worldwide, and despite efforts for a global treaty, oil-producing nations blocked meaningful limits on plastic production.
Shi En Kim reports for Sierra Magazine.
In short:
- Global leaders failed to agree on a treaty to curb plastic production, hindered by opposition from oil-producing countries.
- Recycling remains ineffective, with only 9% of plastic waste recycled and most ending up in landfills or incinerators.
- Plastic production drives greenhouse gas emissions and disproportionately harms low-income and minority communities near processing facilities.
Key quote:
“The only way to reduce waste disposal is to reduce material production because every single pound or ton of material that we bring into the world will become waste eventually.”
— Roland Geyer, industrial ecologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara
Why this matters:
Unchecked plastic production fuels pollution and climate change, harming public health and ecosystems. Without upstream regulations, plastic waste and emissions will surge, burdening vulnerable communities and the planet.
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