IPEN

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Plastics are a mixture of fossil fuels and chemicals, and many chemicals in plastics are known to cause serious health problems. Exports of plastic wastes have been identified as a significant global health and environmental threat, but current reporting systems underestimate the volumes of plastic wastes that are traded globally. 

The Plastics Treaty’s first Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-1) met in Punta del Este, Uruguay from November 28 through December 2, 2022. IPEN ensured that voices from all regions in the global south were present in the meeting by supporting in-person participation by nearly 30 public interest participating organizations, and coordinated over 45 IPEN NGO members, working collaboratively to advance our views and promote the adoption of a Treaty that accounts for the threats to human health and the environment from chemicals in plastics.

IPEN created several resources for delegates and others to educate them on the health threats from chemicals in plastics and to address solutions via a Plastics Treaty. Our new report “An Introduction To Plastics & Toxic Chemicals: How Plastics Harm Human Health And The Environment And Poison The Circular Economy” provides background on plastics as materials that pose threats to human health and includes a foreword by scientists who co-authored the recent studies showing that plastics and chemical production may have already exceeded the “planetary boundaries.” Our briefing for delegates on “Enhancing Controls to Protect Human Health from Plastics" describes how health and chemicals are relevant to the Treaty and how the Treaty should address these issues.