Overview

• Geneva talks have brought together 184 UN member states to draft the first legally binding treaty covering plastic production, consumption and end-of-life management.
• A bloc led by Saudi Arabia, Russia and Iran rejects any caps on virgin plastic output, arguing the pact should focus solely on waste collection and recycling.
• Parties remain deadlocked on Article 3, with no agreement on listing hazardous additives such as PFAS, phthalates and colorants.
• The High Ambition Coalition is pushing for binding production-reduction targets but faces entrenched resistance from petrochemical interests and an unyielding China.
• An estimated 22 million tonnes of plastic waste enter the environment each year, underscoring calls for full lifecycle regulation to protect ecosystems and human health.