Overview

• Over 8 billion metric tons of plastic waste already burden the planet with production set to nearly triple by 2060 if unchecked
• Scientists warn that 75% of the more than 16,000 chemical additives in plastics lack safety evaluations and that micro- and nanoplastics have been found in tissues from placenta to brain
• The Lancet Countdown on Health and Plastics observatory, launched August 4, will provide real-time tracking of health impacts and gauge treaty effectiveness
• Negotiators under the UN Environment Programme are drafting a treaty to regulate the full plastic lifecycle and establish financing and enforcement mechanisms modeled on the Montreal Protocol
• A minority of major oil and gas producing states is blocking consensus on production caps and bans of hazardous single-use plastics