The plastics crisis is an environmental justice and climate change catastrophe — for our physical health and the world we live in. Only swift, meaningful action will save us now. 

Each year, the world produces 350 million tons of plastic waste — more than the weight of the entire human population — with devastating effects for human and climate health. Social injustice is a part of the narrative, too: The people and communities most affected by plastic production and pollution are disproportionately the most vulnerable and least culpable. 

Delegations have committed to creating a legally binding treaty that covers the entire life cycle of plastic and centers on frontline communities — but we must speak up to ensure that they adhere to this framework and create policies that address the global plastics crisis with the urgency it demands. Research shows that such policies may include:

• A mandate for minimum recycled content in new products

• A limit on virgin plastic production 

• Large investment in waste infrastructure and recycling capacity, and

• Significant reductions in single-use packaging and additives

Fueled by the powerful oil and gas industry — which has committed hundreds of billions of dollars to expanding plastic production — consumers have been sold on a myth that recycling is a comprehensive solution. In truth, every minute, a garbage truck’s worth of plastic clogs up and pollutes the ocean, and as many as 51 trillion pieces of plastic choke every square mile of those precious waters. Still, less than 10 percent of plastics produced are actually recycled. Without action, there could be more plastic in the ocean than fish by 2050.

The human consequences are equally severe. Plastic production and pollution releases vast arrays of toxic substances, increasing the risk of cancer and other devastating health issues. In production hotspots like Cancer Alley in Louisiana, which is home to over 150 petrochemical and plastic production plants, the risk of cancer from air pollution is 95 percent higher than for the rest of the country. Waste matters too, as plastic pollution many of us think floats out as ocean rubbish also ends up in the food we eat and the air we breathe.

The plastics crisis is a truly global issue, and its causes and consequences must be comprehensively addressed across the entire life cycle — from plastic creation to end pollution. The private sector has been slow and unwilling to take meaningful action to address the crisis, so it is incumbent upon national governments to work together to enact meaningful, global regulations and commitments to address this catastrophe.

Call on world leaders to adopt a strong Global Plastics Treaty. We’ll keep you up-to-date as negotiations progress.

Our petition was updated on Jan. 19, 2024 to reflect new research from the Universities of California Santa Barbara and Berkeley, which showed that certain policies included in the potential treaty options are absolutely critical to achieving a meaningful impact on plastic pollution to the environment. 221,407 signatures were carried over from the initial petition.