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Plastic Treaty

The excessive production and consumption of plastic is suffocating our rivers and oceans, killing wildlife and contaminating our food, air and water. And it’s only getting worse. 

In November 2023, governments came together in Nairobi for the third round of negotiations for a global treaty to end plastic pollution. Even though majority of countries supported a robust treaty grounded in global rules, a few low-ambition countries calling for a loose voluntary agreement caused a deadlock. That resulted in talks ending with no plan for how to move the negotiations forward. This treaty is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a global solution to this worsening global crisis. Unless governments agree on an ambitious and fair treaty with legally binding global rules, plastic pollution is likely to triple by 2040, accumulating in our food and water and exacerbating the risk of flooding. We can’t let this happen. To solve this crisis, all countries must adopt a treaty that will ban avoidable high-risk plastic items - those that cause the most harm or are most prone to leaking into the environment. 

Next round of negotiations is in April 2024. and WWF calls on countries who want to see a meaningful treaty emerge to remain resolute and take the process in their own hands by advancing information gathering and sharing over the next couple of months in the lead up to next round of negotiations in Ottawa, Canada.

The ‘single’ use of the most harmful and avoidable plastic products is one too many. We need your voice to help us turn this single-use into zero-use.

Vote YES for a plastic pollution-free future.

The worst effects of plastic pollution are hitting the most vulnerable communities the hardest, particularly those in low and middle income countries. Year after year, those countries are left to deal with more and more of the world’s plastic. But with the rapid growth in global plastic production and consumption, much of which is too difficult or dangerous to recycle, this is an impossible task. And the plastic we think is being recycled is in fact bleeding into our rivers and oceans and wreaking havoc on communities.

© WWF

WHY WE NEED TO REGULATE PLASTIC

Plastic production and consumption is out of control. We are being force-fed more plastic than we need and in a way that makes it impossible to responsibly manage. To this point, plastic producers have operated with little accountability and regulation. The absence of global rules and responsibility have left people and the planet to pay the price. And we are now facing an accelerating threat that transcends borders and puts everyone in harm's way.

To end the plastic crisis, the UN plastic pollution treaty must introduce new global binding rules to regulate production and consumption. These rules must include measures to ban, phase-out, phase-down, circulate and manage high-risk plastic products. 

We need the treaty to ban the most harmful and avoidable plastic products. Over 90% of the plastic that pollutes our planet is made up of single-use plastics, such as plastic cutlery, and microplastics, for the example those added to cosmetic products. Most of that is too difficult or dangerous to recycle. So, while plastic production continues to skyrocket, asking people to just recycle is simply not good enough. To make plastic pollution history, we need to ban the highest polluting, most harmful and avoidable plastic products and materials, and support all nations as they shift to safe, circular systems.
 

WHY IS PLASTIC HARMFUL?
Vote now for a Global Treaty
LEARN MORE: WHERE DOES YOUR COUNTRY STAND?

While the majority of governments support an equitable and binding treaty, we need to ensure leaders maintain momentum and do not compromise on our collective ambition. Use the this WWF tool below to see how your country stands on the key elements of the treaty, including bans, circularity and financial support.

WHERE DOES YOUR COUNTRY STAND?
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