A historic moment for plastic pollution

Right now in Geneva, governments, industries, and civil society are negotiating what could become the first-ever legally binding global treaty to tackle plastic pollution.

Focusing not just downstream waste, but the full lifecycle: design, production, trade, use, and disposal.

It’s no coincidence this treaty is being shaped now…

Evidence is mounting on the true cost of inaction:
– Plastic pollution could cost up to $1.5 trillion/year in health-related impacts (Lancet Countdown, 2025)
– 75% of all plastic ever made is now waste
– In 2023, plastic trade exceeded $1.1 trillion, yet 98% of plastics remain fossil-based
– Trade barriers still favor plastic over natural substitutes like bamboo or seaweed (UNCTAD)
– 4% of global emissions come from plastics
– Microplastics now reach every major ecosystem and increasingly, our food and bodies

This moment matters because:
– It links trade policy with sustainability
– It treats plastics as a health and climate issue
– It calls for international equity especially for countries lacking waste infrastructure
– It could drive global investment in circular solutions

We’ve studied the problem long enough.

Source:

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/majd-fayyad-224a9a56_majdtalks-activity-7359196580492537857-sWV3/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAtGGkQBsxwMBmX3lEJO8btihnfBCaHqTz4