Related to Policy Area

The Plastics Treaty is intended to include all impacts from plastics throughout their lifecycle. To address these impacts, the health and environmental effects from toxic chemicals in plastics, including in the waste stage, must be addressed. This briefing describes the increasingly clear links between plastics and their associated chemicals and plastic pollution with its detrimental effects on human health and the environment.  

Read more in the full briefing.

It has been estimated that 4.8-12.7 million tonnes of plastics enter the oceans every year. Plastics are made from carbon and chemicals and many of the chemicals can leach out from the plastics -- this means that plastic litter can act as carriers of toxic chemicals to remote regions.

Read our factsheet on the global spread of chemicals from plastics.