Overview

• The report finds that plastics drive disease and death from infancy to old age while inflicting at least $1.5 trillion in annual economic losses.
• Researchers warn that without intervention global plastic production could nearly triple by 2060 and note that some 8 billion metric tons of waste now pollute land, water and air.
• The Health Policy highlights transparency gaps around thousands of plastic chemicals, many of which lack safety data despite links to adverse health outcomes.
• Microplastics and nanoplastics have been detected in human tissues and fluids, prompting calls for precautionary measures as studies probe their long-term effects.
• The new Lancet Countdown on Health and Plastics will track indicators across production and emissions, exposures, health impacts, and interventions to guide treaty implementation.