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Plastics Treaty

In March 2002, the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) approved a broad mandate to start talks on an international treaty to address the growing threats from plastic pollution. The scope of the Plastics Treaty is intended to include all impacts from plastics throughout their lifecycle, including effects from the toxic chemicals in plastics on human health and the environment. The future treaty will be a key legally binding agreement moving the world towards a toxic free future. 

Plastic

Plastics, Plastic Waste, and Chemicals in Africa

Tuesday, 13 September 2022

See the IPEN video showing how exports of plastics and plastic waste, mostly from wealthy countries, bring toxic chemicals to Africa, exposing children and families to harmful chemicals and poisoning the circular economy.

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Plastics Treaty

Twenty Nations Call for a Strong Global Agreement on Plastic Pollution

Tuesday, 23 August 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

In a welcome development, twenty countries led by Norway and Rwanda yesterday announced a coalition to end plastic pollution and work together to help forge an effective, meaningful global Plastics Treaty. According to their press release, The High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution “will issue statements and undertake intersessional work on essential elements and issues to inform the negotiations in order to develop a landmark treaty by 2024.” UNEA has mandated a Plastics Treaty based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full lifecycle of plastic, and, among other provisions, calls for an agreement “To promote sustainable production and consumption of plastics, including, among others, product design, and environmentally sound waste management, including through resource efficiency and circular economy approaches.” 

IPEN has called for a strong, meaningful global agreement to end plastic pollution that eliminates the toxic impacts of plastics and chemicals, based on the precautionary principle, and protects the health of citizens, workers, vulnerable populations and Indigenous Peoples, and the environment. Ending the toxic impacts of plastics will require addressing all aspects of plastic production, use, transport, and disposal, with a focus on reduction and minimization of plastic production. 

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UNEA5

What Happened at UNEA 5

Wednesday, 13 April 2022 - 5:15pm

A brief summary of the happenings and outcomes of the 5th Session of the United Nations Environmental Assembly (UNEA 5) meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, in Spring 2022, as well as notes about future events.

What happened at the Fifth United Nations Environmental Assembly (UNEA5) and Open-Ended Committee of Permanent Representatives?

Meeting date: 20th February – 2nd of March 2022

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Document: 
UNEA5

How the Plastic Pollution Resolution relates to chemicals and health

Wednesday, 13 April 2022 - 4:38pm

In March 2022, the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) approved a broad mandate to start talks on an international treaty to address the growing threats from plastic pollution. The scope of the Plastics Treaty is intended to include all impacts from plastics throughout their lifecycle, including effects from the toxic chemicals in plastics on human health and the environment. The future treaty will be a key legally binding agreement moving the world towards a toxic free future.

In IPEN’s analysis, based on the mandate, the final agreement must address the health impacts of plastics and their chemicals in four ways:

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Document: 
Plastics Treaty

Panelists Agree Chemicals Important to Future Plastic Treaty

Tuesday, 15 March 2022

Nairobi, Kenya While some attempt to cast the global plastics crisis as a problem with disposal and litter, a distinguished panel at UNEA 5.2 confirmed that the future plastics treaty must address the problem of toxic chemical additives in plastics. The resolution to initiate the international process for a global, binding plastic treaty does not itself contain specific language about chemicals. However, two speakers underscored that the resolution's scope is broad enough to allow chemicals to be negotiated in the final treaty text. IPEN was lauded for its work to reveal the presence of such chemicals — recognized toxics such as BPA, PFAS, brominated flame retardants, dioxins, and other chemicals — in recycled pellets and products, as well its work to expose problems with bans on the export of plastic waste as fuel.

Watch the panel

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Plastics Treaty

UN Environment Assembly Moves to End Plastic Pollution

Approves New International Scientific Panel on Chemicals
Thursday, 03 March 2022
Press Releases: 

For Immediate Release
2 March 2022
Attn: Environment and Global Health News
Contacts: Björn Beeler, bjornbeeler@ipen.org

United Nations Environment Assembly Enters new Era to End Plastic Pollution, and approves a new international scientific panel on chemicals

Nairobi, Kenya After 10 days of intense negotiations, governments adopted three resolutions relevant to chemicals and plastics under the resumed fifth United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA 5.2). These decisions include:

  • A resolution to start talks later this year to agree on a legally binding instrument to tackle plastic pollution focusing on prevention and promoting sustainable production and consumption of plastics. The resolution covers all types of potential pollution and the whole lifecycle of plastics;
  • A resolution agreeing to start discussions to create a scientific panel on chemicals, waste, and pollution prevention;
  • A resolution that renews the Special Program that provides financial support to developing countries to develop programs contributing to the sound management of chemicals and waste. Additionally, the resolution calls for a new report on the state of the science on endocrine-disrupting chemicals.

Plastics: Governments approved a broad mandate to start talks on a plastics treaty. IPEN believes that the treaty should help prevent health threats from the widely used hazardous chemicals embedded in plastics, such as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). These chemicals include phthalates, bisphenols, brominated flame retardants, and PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals”. All of these are chemicals known to cause severe harm to health. When recycled, these chemicals can potentially expose vulnerable populations to health threats.

IPEN says the treaty needs to have legally binding provisions to help reduce the use of plastics products. Based on current forecasts of huge growth in plastic and chemical production and use, slowing down this growth is crucial to defend the health of the planet and of people.

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